'♦. 




COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



//^ 



UT-s/r- !/ 



ANTONY 



AND 



CLEOPATRA 




5^m 



NEW-YORK 



DUPRAT 8: C 



M UCCC Xt.l 






Antony and Cleopatra 



Copyright 1890, by Duprat ,^c C". 



WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 



ANTONY & CLEOPATRA 



WITH AN INTRODUCTION 



BY 



W. J. ROLFE 



AND SEVENTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS 



BY 



PAUL AVRIL 







NEW- YORK 

DUPRAT & CO 
1891 



"p 









t 



'^' 







ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

BY W. J. ROLFE, Litt. D. 



There are no portions of English and Roman history 
that seem so real to us as those which Shakespeare has 
made the subjects of his plays. ((History)^, said Macaulay, 
before he had written history, « should be a compound 
of poetry and philosophy, impressing general truths on 
the mind by a vivid representation of particular characters 
and incidents ». The true poet, then, must be the best of 
historians. He sees the mere facts or phenomena of the 
past more clearly than other men do, and his penetrative 
vision pierces yet deeper to the spiritual forces that work 
out the phenomena; as the man of science sees the subtle 
electricity behind the flash of the lightning and the roll of 
the thunder. History, unless it be of the ideal type described 
by Macaulay, merely writes the obituary of the dead 
past; Poetry calls it back from the grave, and makes it live 
again before our eyes. The moral lessons of history are 

Antony and Cleopatra. a 



II ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

made the more impressive by this vivid presentation. The 
actual life appeals to our hearts as no « moral » tagged 
on at the end of the written record of it possibly could. 

Shakespeare saw the life of the past with this penetrat- 
ing poetic vision, and he reproduced it as perfectly as he 
saw it It does not follow , as some have assumed, that he 
knew the dry facts of history very thoroughly, as Bacon, 
for instance, or Ben Jonson did. Ben Jonson wrote Roman 
plays which, in minute attention to the details of the man- 
ners and customs of the time, are far more scholarly and 
accurate than Shakespeare's. He accompanies them with 
hundreds of notes, giving classical quotations to illustrate 
the action and the language. The work shows genuine 
poetic power as well as laborious research; and yet the 
result is far inferior to that of Shakespeare's less pedan- 
tic treatment of kindred subjects. The latter knows less of 
classical history and antiquities, but has a deeper insight 
into human nature, which is essentially the sanie in all 
ages. 

Those who believe that Francis Bacon wrote the plays 
ascribed to Shakespeare regard them as conspicuous illus- 
trations of the classical learning of their author. The fact 
is, they are conspicuous illustrations of his plentiful lack 
of such learning. How is it then that the ignoramus outdoes 
the scholar in setting the old Roman life truthfully before 
us? How is it that the man of « small Latin » reproduces 
Latin life and character with a skill to which his learned 
friend and critic could never attain? As we have intimated, 
it is simply because the inferior scholar is the superior 
poet. Grant the combination of pre-eminent genius with 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA III 

the (( small Latin », and all is clear. Shakespeare's know- 
ledge of man was almost superhuman; and as Agassiz 
from a single scale could reconstruct the fish, so Shakes- 
peare from a few rudimentary facts could recreate the 
man or the people. His schoolboy lessons in Roman history 
in the Stratford Grammar School, supplemented by his 
later reading in a single volume, North's Plutarch, were 
all that he needed, outside of himself, for the production 
o/" Julius C/£Sar, and Antony and Cleopatra, and 

CORIOLANUS. 

These Roman plays were not written in immediate suc- 
cession, nor in the chronological order of the events upon 
which they are based. Julius CvESAR, the second in the 
historical sequence, was the first in the order of composi- 
tion, having been written, as an allusion to it in Weever's 
Mirror of Martyrs proves, before 1601, when that 
book was printed. Antony and Cleopatra, though his- 
torically in close connection with Julius Caesar, was prob- 
ably not written until six or seven years after that play 
— m 1607 or early in 1608 — and Cokiolanus, earliest 
in its history, was the last to be produced, the date of its 
composition being fixed by the best critics between 1608 
and 1610. It may have followed close upon Antony and 
Cleopatra, or at an interval of one or more years. 

The date mentioned for Antony and Cleopatra is 
that agreed upon by nearly all the commentators. No one 
of any note places it earlier than iGoj, while Knight, 
Verplanck, and Lloyd are the only ones who put it later 
than 1608. The only piece of external evidence bearing 
upon the question is the entry of an Antony and Cleo- 



IV ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

PATRA in the Stationers' Registers [equivalent to our mod- 
ern registration for copyright) to Edward Blount on the 
20th of May, 1608. There can be little doubt that this 
was Shakespeare's play, since Blount, as one of the pub- 
lishers of the Folio in 162 3, re-entered it among the plays 
for that volume which were « not formerly entered to 
other men ». No edition having been brought out after 
the entry in 160S, he thus re-asserted his claim to the 
copyright. It may be noted that « the booke of Pericles, 
Prince of Tyre », was entered by Blount at the same 
time with Antony and Cleopatra in 1608. No author's 
name is given for either play in the entry, but Pericles 
was published in quarto the following year with Shake- 
speare's name on the title-page. 

This external evidence to the date is strongly confirmed 
by the internal evidence, drawn from metre and style, and 
from the links that connect this play with others of the 
same period in the poet's literary career. The critics who 
count the « light endings )>, the « weak endings n , and 
other peculiarities of the verse, come to the same conclusion 
with those who note the broader characteristics of style and 
dramatic treatment , and with those who trace the develop- 
ment of the author's mind and art as shown in the suc- 
cession of the later tragedies. It is impossible to illustrate 
this in detail within our present limits; but we cannot 
refrain from quoting what Dowden has said on the relation 
of the play to the other Roman plays and to Macbeth : 

« The events of Roman history connect Antony and 
Cleopatra immediately with Julius C;ESar; yet Shake- 
speare allowed a number of years to pass, during which he 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA V 

was actively engaged as author, before he seems to have 
thought of his second Roman play. What is the significance 
of this fact? Does it not mean that the historical connec- 
tion was now a connection too external and too material 
to carry Shakespeare on from subject to subject, as it had 
sufficed to do while he was engaged upon his series of 
English historical plays? The profoundest concerns of the 
individual soul were now pressing upon the imagination 
of the poet. Dramas now written upon subjects taken from 
history became not chronicles, but tragedies. The moral 
interest was supreme. The spiritual material dealt with by 
Shakespeare's imagination in the play of Julius C.€SAR 
lay wide apart from that which forms the centre of the 
Antony and Cleopatra. Therefore the poet was not 
carried directly forward from one to the other. 

But having in Macbeth [about 1606) studied the ruin 
of a nature which gave fair promise in mens eyes of great- 
ness and nobility, Shakespeare, it may be, proceeded directly 
to a similar study in the case of Antony. In the nature 
of Antony, as in the nature of Macbeth, there is a moral 
fault or flaw, which circumstances discover and which in 
the end works his destruction. In each play the pathos is of 
the same kind, — it lies in the gradual severing of a man, 
through the lust of power or through the lust of pleasure, 
from his better self. By the side of Antony, as by Mac- 
beth's side, there stood a terrible force in the form of a 
woman, whose function it was to realize and ripen the un- 
organized and undeveloped evil of his soul. Antony's sin 
was an inordinate passion for enjoyment at the expense of 
Roman virtue and manly energy; a prodigality of heart 



VI ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

a superb egoism. After a brief interval, Shakespeare 
went on to apply his imagination to the investigating of 
another form of egoism, — not the egoism of self-diffusion, 
but of self-concentration. As Antony betrays himself and 
his cause through his sin of indulgence and laxity, so Co- 
riolanus does violence to his own soul and to his country 
through his sin of haughtiness, rigidity, and inordinate 
pride. Thus an ethical tendency connects these two plays, 
which are also connected in point of time; while Antony 
AND Cleopatra, although historically a continuation of 
Julius Caesar, stands separated from it, both in the chron- 
ological order of Shakespeare's plays and in the logical 
order assigned by successive developments of the conscience, 
the intellect, and the imagination of the dramatist. )> 

In this, as in the other Roman plays, Shakespeare drew 
his materials almost exclusively from Sir Thomas North's 
translation of Bishop Amyot's French version of Plutarch's 
Lives. Not only the main historical action, but also many 
of the minor incidents, speeches, and touches of charac- 
terization are taken from this source. As Trench remarks, 
« we have in Plutarch not the framework or skeleton only 
of the story, no, nor yet merely the ligaments and sinews, 
but very much also of the flesh and blood wherewith these 
are covered and clothed ». Gervinus has observed that 
even single expressions and words, «. such as one unac- 
quainted with Plutarch would consider in form and manner 
to be quite Shakespearian, and which have not unfrequen- 
tly been quoted as his peculiar property », are not really 
his but the old Greek biographer's. It is a curious illustra- 
tion of this that Ilazlitt cites, as a striking example of the 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA VII 

imagination displayed by the poet, the passage in which 
Cleopatra refers to her birthday {Act III, scene i3): 

It is my birthday : 
I had thought to have held it poor; but, since my lord 
Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra. 

But this is taken from North : « From henceforth Cleo- 
patra, to clear herself of the suspicion he had of her, 
made more of him than ever she did. For first of all, 
where [that is, whereas) she did solemnize the day of her 
birth very meanly and sparingly, fit for her present mis- 
fortune, she now, in contrary manner, did keep it with such 
solemnity that she exceeded all measure of sumptuousness 
and magnificence. » More than one critic has eulogized 
(( the high-hearted answer » of Charmian to the expostu- 
lation of the Koman soldier in the final scene: 

GUARD 

What work is here! Charmian, is this well done ? 

CHARMIAN 

It is well done, and fitting for a princess 
Descended of so many rayal kings. 

But this also is from Plutarch, with slight alteration 
except what is necessary to put it into verse : « One of the 
soldiers seeing her, angrily said unto her : Is that well 
done, Charmian ? — Very well, said she again, and meet 
for a princess descended from the race of so many noble 
kings. )) 

And yet, freely as the dramatist has drawn from the 
ancient author, how insignificant after all is his real in- 
debtedness to him ! So far as the historical materials of 
the play are concerned, he may owe to him, as Trench has 



VIII ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

said, not merely the skeleton, but the flesh that clothes it ; 
but when we compare the finished poetry with the borrowed 
prose, the latter appears only as the dry bones which the 
mighty magician has transformed into a living thing of 
beauty and a joy forever. 

The key-note of the play is struck in the opening speech. 
Demetrius and Philo see and lament the enthrallment of 
Antony by the Egyptian queen, and his indifference to his 
reputation and responsibilities as a soldier and a Roman : 

Nay, but this dotage of our general's 
O'erflows the measure : those his goodly eyes, 
That o'er the files and musters of the war 
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn 
The office and devotion of their view 
Upon a tawny front; his captain's heart. 
Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst 
The buckles on his breast, reneags all temper, 
And is become the bellows and the fan 
To cool a gypsy's lust — 

Look where they come ! 
Take but good note, and you shall see in him 
The triple pillar of the world transform'd 
Into a strumpet's fool. Behold and see. 

If this had been made a formal prologue to the play, it 
could hardly have been more appropriate and significant 
({ Behold and see » is the poet's apostrophe to the theatre 
and to the world for all time. «. Enter Antony and Cleo- 
patra. » Behold and see the tragedy of their sin and their 
fate. 

The first utterances of the pair are an avowal of the 
love that is to be their curse and ruin, — love lawless and 
unrestrained, to which no bourn can be set while heaven 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA IX 

and earth remain as they are. A messenger enters with 
news from Rome; but news from his country and his home 
« grates n the recreant triumvir and husband. Cleopatra, 
however, would fain satisfy herself whether his « faith 
unfaithful » continues « falsely true » in spite of possible 
appeals from Octavius or Fulvia : 

Nay, hear them, Antony. 
Fulvia perchance is angry ; or who knows 
If the scarce-bearded Caesar have not sent 
His powerful mandate to you, « Do this, or this; 
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that; 
Perform 't, or else we damn thee?... » 
Perchance, — nay, and most like, — 
You must not stay here longer, your dismission 
Is come from Caesar; therefore hear it, Antony. 
Where 's Fulvia's process? Caesar's,! would say? both? 
Call in the messengers. — As I am Egypt's queen, 
Thou blushest, Antony, and that blood of thine 
Is Caesar's homager; else so thy cheek pays shame 
When shrill-tongued Fulvia scolds. 

The sarcasm, like a poisoned arrow, goes straight to 
the mark, and Antony, stung by the envenomed barb, 
cries out : 

Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch 
Of the rang'd empire fall ! Here is my space. 
Kingdoms are clay; our dungy earth alike 
Feeds beast as man: the nobleness of life 
Is to do thus; when such a mutual pair 

(Embracing) 

And such a twain can do/t, in which I bind. 
On pain of punishment, the world to weet 
We stand up peerless. 

The die is cast. Rome and Fulvia are repudiated fully 

Antony and Cleopatra. b 



X ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

and finally. The a sours tragedy ))^ as Browning would 
have called it, is complete. The subjective ruin of the man 
is consummated, and nothing remains but to show its 
objective phenomena and results. The spasms of penitence 
and remorse that he feels at times afterwards are but as 
eddies in the swift and resistless current that sweeps him 
onward and downward to his doom. 

Antony is no new acquaintance in the Roman company 
to whom Shakespeare introduces us. We have met and 
known him in Julius G/esar, and some of the earlieit allu- 
sions to him in that play give us a hint of the moral taint 
that in the end undoes him. Brutus sneers at the « quick 
spirit » that is in Antony and makes him « gamesome ». 
The wary and sagacious Cassius, who, as Caesar notes, is 
(( a great observer » and « looks quite through the deeds 
of men )), recognizes the real ability of the man, only the 
more dangerous from his want of principle. But Brutus 
sees only the profligate, « given to sports, to wildness, and 
much company )), who, rather than die for his friend 
Csesar, will live and laugh at his fate. And so Antony, 
contrary to the judgment of Cassius, is suffered to a outlive 
Caesar ». But Cassius was right and Brutus was wrong, 
as they both found out to their sorrow when Brutus — 
again in the face of his politic fellow-conspirator's warn- 
ing — gave Antony leave to « speak in Caesar's funeral ». 

That famous oration displayed at once the strength and 
the weakness of Antony. If it had been the honest, disin- 
terested, patriotic utterance it professed and seemed to be, 
it would have been as noble as it was able and brilliant; 
but it was simply a superb piece of demagogism. The 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA ' XI 

speech ends with the announcement of Cxsar's gifts to the 
plebeians in his will — the meanest but most effective 
appeal that could be made to them. « Here was a Cxsar » 
indeed for them; « when comes such another? « But what 
are almost the first words of this friend of the people when 
he next appears on the stage ? 

But, Lepidus, go you to Caesar's house ; 
Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine 
How to cut off some charge in legacies. 

Czsar^s eloquent executor will cheat the legatees of the 
dead Dictator to the utmost degree he can. The next 
moment, when Lepidus has gone on this errand, Antony 
says to Octavius: 

This is a slight unmeritable man, 

Meet to be sent on errands; is it fit. 

The three-fold world divided, he should stand 

One of the three to share it? 

He goes on to plot against his partner, calling Lepidus 
a mere ass, to be tolerated while he is useful as a beast of 
burden, and then to be turned off, like the ass, « to shake 
his ears and graze in commons )). We get only these casual 
glimpses of Antony after the great scene in the forum, 
but they all unite to illustrate the tricky mans utter lack 
of principle. He is a profligate turned demagogue, just 
as later we find him a demagogue turned profligate again. 
He plays upon the Roman plebeians as upon a pipe by the 
subtlety and sophistry of his oratory ; but he himself be- 
comes a pipe on which the Egyptian siren plays what tune 
she will. 



Xll ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

And yet Antony, as Shakespeare brings him before us, 
is not entirely unattractive. PaulStapfer aptly defines him 
as « a noble nature destitute of moral sense » ; in Plu- 
tarch «■ frankly despicable, and even positively odious, 
while Shakespeare adds many happy and delicate touches 
which render him, if not altogether lovable, at least an 
interesting and wellnigh a beautiful character » . The dram- 
atist, if not completely true to history, cannot be charged 
With being actually false to it. As Trench has remarked, 
the fact that the play starts from a late period of An- 
tony's career a enables Shakespeare to leave wholly out of 
sight, and this with no violation of historic truth, much 
in the life of the triumvir which was wickedest and worst. 
There are followers who cleave to him in his lowest estate, 
even as there are fitful gleams and glimpses of generosity 
which explain this fidelity of theirs; and when at the last 
we behold him standing amid the wreck of fortunes and 
the waste of gifts, the whole range of poetry offers no 
more tragical figure than he is, few that arouse a deeper 
pity. )) 

Cleopatra, by general consent of the critics, is the most 
wonderful of all Shakespeare's feminine creations. As 
Campbell the poet observes, « he paints her as if the gypsy 
herself had cast her spell over him, and given her own 
witchcraft to his pencil )). There may be more in this than 
a figure of rhetoric. Courtenay, Gervinus,Massey, Ward, 
Furnivall, Dowden and others agree in the opinion that 
the « dark lady » of Shakespeare's Sonnets, « his own 
fickle, serpent-like, attractive mistress » , may be to some 
extent portrayed in the Egyptian queen. <( May wc 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA XIII 

dare «, asks Dowden, « to conjecture that Cleopatra, queen 
and courtesan, black from « Phabus' amorous pinches », 
a « lass unparalleled », has some kinship through the 
imagination with the dark lady of the virginal? » Now 
that we know almost certainly who this dark lady was, 
this conjecture becomes far more probable. Mr. Thomas 
Tyler, in his book on the Sonnets (London, 1890), has 
identified her as Mary Fitton, maid of honor [God save 
the mark!) to Queen Elizabeth, and mistress of William 
Herbert, afterwards Earl of Pembroke. From what we 
learn of her, she had a strong passions conjoined with an 
imperious, masterful will ». Mr. Tyler adds : « The 
queenly commanding qualities of Mrs. Fitton are not to 
be mistaken. Her character, in its strength, resembles 
that of her royal mistress, who declared : « / have the 
heart of a king, and of a king of England too. » She 
could, as we learn from Mrs. Martin, « tuck up her 
clothes, take off her head-dress, and, attired in a large 
white cloak, march off, « as though she had been a man )) , 
to meet the Earl of Pembroke outside the court ». This re- 
minds us of Cleopatra when Antony invites her to « wan- 
der through the streets » at night and a note the qualities 
of people ». Compare the more detailed description of 
Plutarch: « Sometime also, when he [Antony) would go 
up and down the city disguised like a slave in the night, 
and would peer into poor men^s windows and their shops, 
Cleopatra would also be in a chamber-maid's array, and 
amble up and down the streets with him. » 

Whence hast thou this becoming of things ill ? 



XIV ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Shakespeare asks the dark lady in the i 5oth Sonnet. This 
is like Antonyms exclamation, 

Fie, wrangling queen ! 
Whom every thing becomes; 

and the declaration of Enobarbus : 

For vilest things 
Become themselves in her, that the holy priests 
Bless her when she is riggish. 

The Sonnets would furnish many another point of resem- 
blance between the English and the Egyptian courtesan, 
if our present limits permitted us to follow out the com- 
parison. 

No critic has ever commented upon Cleopatra without 
quoting the passage we all know by heart : 

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale 
Her infinite variety; 

and therein lay the main secret of her fascination. The 
wanton may have sensual charms and attractions in the 
highest degree, but men are soon sated with these, and 
tire of the charmer unless she have something of this versa- 
tility which continually offers fresh allurements and new 
forms of captivation. As Enobarbus says, 

other women cloy 
The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry 
Where most she satisfies. 

This recalls Hamlet's description of his mother : 

Why she would hang on him 
As if increase of appetite had grown 
By what it fed on. 
/ 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA XV 

Cleopatra had this rare gift of her sex in utmost perfec- 
tion. It was the spell that had enthralled Pompey and 
Csesar even in what she called her « salad days »; for, as 
Plutarch says, « they knew her when she was but a young 
thing, and knew not then what the world meant n. We 
might wonder that now, at the mature age of thirty- 
nine, she could retain the powers of fascination that she 
possessed in the early bloom of womanhood; but, if she 
had lost any personal graces that time could take away, 
which is possible if not probable, the loss was more than 
made up by what she had learned from long experience in 
the art of love. That which was at first an instinct or 
impulse had indeed become an art with her, an art of mar- 
vellous complexity, of indescribable subtlety. She had car- 
ried it to a degree of refinement which a woman like 
Charmian, though by no means a novice in this feminine 
cunning, could hardly comprehend. Cleopatra knew how 
to attract by repulsion, to allure by antagonism, to lash a 
man into hotter love by taunts and jeers and sarcasms. 
Charmian s philosophy is of a simpler sort, and even when 
her royal mistress has laughed at it she is still disposed to 
cling to it. 

CLEOPATRA 

See where he is, who 's with him, what he does; 
I did not send you. — If you find him sad. 
Say I am dancing; if in mirth, report 
That I am sudden sick: quick, and return. 

Exit Alexas. 
CHARMIAN 

Madam, methinks, if you did love him dearly. 
You do not hold the method to enforce 
The like from him. 



XVI ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

CLEOPATRA 

What should I do, I do not? 

CHARMIAN 

la each thing give him way, cross him in nothing. 

CLEOPATRA 

Thou teachest like a fool, — the way to lose him. 

CHARMIAN 

Tempt him not so too far; I wish, forbear: 
In time we hate that which we often fear. 

We see, in the scene with Antony which follows, how 
perfectly the queen puts her theory into practice, how she 
teases and torments and irritates her lover, and laughs at 
his impotent wrath, bidding Charmian note 

How this Herculean Roman does become 
The carriage of his chafe. 

But she knows when to stop; she does not, as Charmian 
has feared she might, « tempt him so too far ». After she 
has worried him almost past endurance, she suddenly 
checks herself and bids him farewell with genuine and fas- 
cinating tenderness : 

But, sir, forgive me. 
Since my becomings kill me when they do not 
Eye well to you. Your honour calls you hence; 
Therefore be deaf to my unpitied folly, 
And all the gods go with you. Upon your sword 
Sit laurel victory! and smooth success * 

Be strew'd before your feet 1 

Verily, as Antony has said, a she is cunning past man's 
thought )) but not past woman's wit. And this cunning 
is shown in almost infinitely varied ways. She can change 
with every shifting mood of her lover, adapting herself to 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA XVII 

his humor, or sway his mood at will, compelling him to 
her own humor or caprice. She can outdo him in revelling 
and debauchery. She can fool him. to the top of his bent. 
She can see through the petty tricks to which his vanity 
tempts him, and turn the tables upon him by shrewder 
tricks of the same kind which he does not suspect until he is 
entrapped and laughed at. 

CHARMIAN 

'T was merry when 
You wager'd on your angling, when your diver 
Did hang a salt fish on his hook, which he 
With fervency drew up. 

CLEOPATRA 

That time, — O times 1 — 
I laughed him out of patience; and that night 
I laughed him into patience : and next morn. 
Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed ; 
Then put my tires and mantles on him, whilst 
I wore his sword Philippan. 

The story of the fishing is told more at length by Plu- 
tarch, who explains how Antony had provoked Cleopatra 
to this practical joke, and it is, moreover, so characteristic 
of the old biographer that it may well be quoted in full : 
« On a time he went to angle for fish, and, when he could 
take none, he was as angry as could be, because Cleopatra 
stood by. Wherefore he secretly commanded the fisher- 
men that, when he cast in his line, they should straight 
dive under the water, and put a fish on his hook which they 
had taken before : and so snatched up his angling-rod, 
and brought up a fish twice or thrice. Cleopatra found 
that is, detected) it straight, yet she seemed not to see it, 
but wondered at his excellent fishing; but, when she was 

Antony and Cleopatra. c 



XV 111 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

alone by herself among her own people, she told them how 
it was, and bade them the next morning to be on the wa- 
ter to see the fishing. A number of people came to the ha- 
ven, and got into the fisher-boats to see this fishing. Anto- 
nius then threw in his line, and Cleopatra straight 
commanded one of her men to dive under water before 
Antonius's men, and to put some old salt fish upon his 
bait, like unto those that are brought out of the country of 
Pont. When he had hung the fish on his hook, Antonius 
thinking he had taken a fish indeed, snatched up his line 
presently. Then they all fell a-laughing. » 

But the tragedy follows hard upon the heels of the com- 
edy. Octavius is at hand, and Antony must fight with 
him — « by sea )) , says Cleopatra; and « by sea, by 
sea )), Antony echoes and insists, in the face of warnings 
from his officers not to throw away « the absolute soldier- 
ship » he has by land and give himself up « merely to chance 
and hazard ». The result confirms their worst forebodings. 
Cleopatra's galleys take flight, and 

The noble ruin of her magic, Antony, 

Claps on his sea-wing, and, like a doting mallard, 

Leaving the fight in height, flies after her 

Fortune is afterward transiently retrieved on land; but 
disaster and defeat, final and hopeless, soon follow. An- 
tony ascribes this disgrace to treachery on the part of his 
mistress and ally, and is ready to kill her for betraying 
him to Octavius. She flees from his rage, and feigns her- 
self dead, in the hope that it may turn his wrath to pity 
and remorse : 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA XIX 

Mardian, go tell him I have slain myself; 

Say that the last I spoke was « Antony », 

And word it, prithee, piteously. Hence, Mardian, 

And bring me how he takes my death. 

It is the first of her wiles that fails by going too far. It 
accomplishes its purpose only too well; for Antony, in the 
agony and desperation of his grief, resolves to die also: 

I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and 
Weep for my pardon. 

He falls, (( a Roman by a Roman valiantly vanquished »; 
and she in turn determines to die after « the high Roman 
fashion ». She is « studied in her death », as ever in her 
life. She will make the fell destroyer « proud to take her », 
greeting him a like a queen » in her v best attires ». Nor 
shall her beauty suffer stain or diminution as she goes 
« again to meet Mark Antony ». The « pretty worm of 
Nilus that kills and pains not » shall bring her liberty, 
and, like a baby at her breast, suck the nurse asleep. While 
she lapses to this welcome slumber, a as sweet as balm, as 
soft as air, as gentle », murmuring the name of « An- 
tony », her crown is turned awry ; but Charmian, who is 
dying with her mistress, spends her last remnant of life 
and strength in setting it right again, — so that, when 
Cxsar comes too late to save her, he can only say : 

She looks like sleep. 
As she would catch another Antony 
In her strong toil of grace. 

The character of Cleopatra has been admirably summed 
up by Henry Giles: « Wonderful she is in her grand and 



XX ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

dazzling loveliness. Full of soul, full of powePj and full of 
poetry, she is the very majesty of voluptuousness; she could 
beat Antony himself in the strength and endurance of ca- 
rousal. Ambitious, yet sensuous; cunning, yet intellect- 
ual; insidious, yet bold; high and daring in her aims, she 
contrives to combine politics with pleasure. Keen in her 
understanding, yet gorgeous in her imagination, she knew 
how to conceal a plan within a pageant, and her pageant- 
ry was the pageantry of a goddess. Vehement as she was 
subtle, her pleasures were as ocean-tides; they surged up 
from the dark depths of her impassioned soul. Daughter of 
the Ptolemies, queen of olden and mystic Egypt, with the 
rich genius of Greece and the hot blood of Africa, she was 
at once poetess, sovereign and enchantress; grace, mingled 
with force, concealed the grossness of her excess; something 
of the artistic entered into the wildest extravagance of her 
luxuries; even in her vices she was brilliant and imperial. 
It was meet that her lovers should be masters of the world; 
with no lower suitors would imagination be content to mate 
her. If she must bend her sceptre to the sword of Caesar, 
it was still right that he should bow his head to the royalty 
of her beauty; his was the victory of force, hers of fasci- 
nation; he was strong in his legions, she was strong in 
herself; he conquered the world, and she conquered him. 
The august and godlike Julius humbled himself before her. 
The impetuous and magnificent Antony became a mere 
child to her command. What measure shall we find for 
that combination of womanly witchery and womanly ge- 
nius, the result of which we observe in the subjugation of 
two such men as haughty Julius and inconstant Antony? 



/ 
/ 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA XXI 

It required the mind of Shakespeare properly to conceive it, 
and by Shakespeare only it has sufficiency of expression. » 

And we may note moreover, with Mrs. Jameson, that, 
while a he alone has dared to exhibit the Egyptian queen 
with all her greatness and all her littleness )>, he has yet 
« preserved the dramatic propriety and poetical coloring 
of the character, and awakened our pity for fallen grand- 
eur, without once beguiling us into sympathy with 
guilt or error ». 

Of the other characters in the play Enobarbus is perhaps 
the most interesting, both personally and dramatically . 
He is a genuine soldier of the old Roman type, a plain., 
blunt man, who, as Hudson has pointed out, is made use 
of by Shakespeare to « serve the office of a chorus in the 
play, to interpret between the author and his audience )>. 
He is thus « at once a character and a commentary n . 
Gervinus pays a tribute to his dry humor, but shows him- 
self amusingly blind to a conspicuous example of this hu- 
mor, — where, upon Cleopatra's declaring to Thyreus that 
her « honor was not yielded, but conquered merely » — a 
falsehood as brazen as it was transparent — Enobarbus 
says aside : « To be sure of that, I will ask Antony. » 
One would suppose that the irony of this was as obvious 
as the mendacity that provokes it; but the German critic 
takes it in all seriousness. According to him, what Cleo- 
patra says to Thyreus seems to Enobarbus « so earnest 
and true that he questions his lord about it » / 

The death of Enobarbus from shame and remorse — 
he does not kill himself — proves the innate nobility of 
the man. Indeed, as Paul Stapfer observes, « his figure 



XXII ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

is by far the noblest in the tragedy among those that have 
more than a shadowy existence; for Eros and Octavia, 
two other beautiful apparitions, only pass and disappear » . 
What is the « moral » of the great tragedy ? It is that 
of the dramatist's own entanglement with the lesser Cleo- 
patra of the Sonnets, which escaped being a « soul's trag- 
edy » only because Shakespeare was not a lesser Antony ; 
and it is written in the i igth Sonnet : 

The expense of spirit in a waste of shame 

Is lust in action; and till action, lust 

Is perjur'd, murtherous, bloody, full of blame, 

Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust, 

Enjoj'd no sooner but despised straight, 

Past reason hunted, and no sooner had 

Past reason hated, as a swallow'd bait 

On purpose laid to make the taker mad; 

Mad in pursuit and in possession so; 

Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme; 

A bliss in proof, and prov'd, a very vs'oe ; 

Before, a joypropos'd; behind, a dream. 

All this the world well knows; yet none knows well 

To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell. 

Shakespeare descended into that hell, but made his way 
out again, wiser and stronger for the experience; Antony 
sank into its black depths, and was seen no more. 



Antony and Cleopatra 



DRAMATIS PERSONS 



Triumvirs. 



/ 



Friends to Antony. 



Friends to Cgesar. 



Mark Antony, 
OcTAVius Cesar, 
M. ^MiLius Lepidus, 
Sextus Pompeius. 
DoMiTius Enobarbus, 
Ventidius, 
Eros, 

SCARUS, 

Dercetas, 

Demetrius, 

Philo, 

Mecenas, 

Agrippa, 

dolabella, 

Proculeius, 

Thyreus, 

Gallus, 

Menas, 

Menecrates, 

Varrius, 

Taurus, lieutenant-general to Csesar. 

Canidius, lieutenant-general to Antony. 

SiLius, an officer in Ventidius's army. 

EuPHRONius, an ambassador from Antony to Csesar. 

Alexas, 

Mardian, a Eunuch, 

Seleucus, 

Diomedes, 

A Soothsayer. 

A Clown. 

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. 

Octavia, sister to Caesar and wife to Antony. 

ChARMIAN, ) a 1 /-I 

T \ Attendants on Cleopatra. 

Iras, ) ^ 

Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants. 



Friends to Pompey. 



Attendants on Cleopatra, 



Scene : In several parts of the Roman empire. 




ACT 1, SCENE III 




ACT 1 



'.R 



SCENE I 

Alexandria. — A room in Cleopatra's palace 
Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO. 



PHILO 

Nay, but this dotage of our general's 

O'erflows the measure : those his goodly eyes, 

That o'er the files and musters of the war 

Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn, 

The office and devotion of their view 

Upon a tawny front : his captain's heart, 

Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst 

The buckles on his breast, reneags all temper, 

Antony and Cleopatra, » 



2 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

And is become the bellows and the fan 
To cool a gipsy's lust. 

Flourish. 

Enter ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, her Ladies, the Train 
with Eunuchs fanning her. 

Look, where they come : 
Take but good note, and you shall see in him 
The triple pillar of the world transformed 
Into a strumpet's Fool : behold and see. 

CLEOPATRA 

If it be love indeed, tell me how much. 

ANTONY 

There 's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd. 

CLEOPATRA 

I '11 set a bourn how far to be belov'd. 

ANTONY 

Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth, 

Enter an ATTENDANT. 
ATTENDANT 

News, my good lord, from Rome. 

ANTONY 

Grates me: the sum, 

CLEOPATRA 

Nay, hear them, Antony : 

Fulvia perchance is angry ; or, who knows 

If the scarce-bearded Caesar have not sent 

His powerful mandate to you, Do this, or this ; 

Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that ; 



ACT /, SCENE I 3 

Perform 't, or else we damn thee. 

ANTONY 

How, my love ! 

CLEOPATRA 

Perchance! nay, and most like : 
You must not stay here longer, your dismission 
Is come from Caesar ; therefore hear it, Antony. 
Where 's Fulvia's process ? Caesar's I would say? both? 
Call in the messengers. As I am Egypt's queen. 
Thou blushest, Antony ; and that blood of thine 
Is Cassar's homager : else so thy cheek pays shame 
When shrill-tonguM Fulvia scolds. The messengers! 

ANTONY 

Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch 
Of the rang'd empire fall 1 Here is my space. 
Kingdoms are clay : our dungy earth alike 
Feeds beast as man : the nobleness of life 
Is to do thus ; when such a mutual pair 

Embracing. 

And such a twain can do 't, in which I bind. 
On pain of punishment, the world to wit 
We stand up peerless. 

CLEOPATRA 

Excellent falsehood! 
Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her? 
I 'U seem the fool I am not; Antony 
Will be himself. 

ANTONY 

But stirr'd by Cleopatra. 
Now, for the love of Love and her soft hours, 



4 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Let 's not confound the time with conference harsh : 
There 's not a minute of our lives should stretch 
Without some pleasure now. What sport to-night? 

CLEOPATRA 

Hear the ambassadors. 

ANTONY 

Fie, wrangling queen ! 
Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh, 
To weep ; whose every passion fully strives 
To make itself, in thee, fair and admir'd ! 
No messenger, but thine; and all alone 
To-night we '11 wander through the streets and note 
The qualities of people. Come, my queen ; 
Last night you did desire it : speak not to us. 

Exeunt Antony and Cleopatra with their train. 
DEMETRIUS 

Is Caesar with Antonius priz'd so slight? 

PHILO 

Sir, sometimes, when he is not Antony, 
He comes too short of that great property 
Which still should go with Antony. 

DEMETRIUS 

I am full sorry 
That he approves the common liar, who 
Thus speaks of him at Rome : but I will hope 
Of better deeds to-morrow. Rest you happy ! 

Exeunt. 



ACT I, SCENE II 5 

SCENE II 

The Same. — Another Room 

Enf€rCHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, anci a SOOTHSAYER. 

CHARMIAN 

Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most any thing Alexas, 
almost most absolute Alexas, where 's the soothsayer 
that you prais'd so to th' Queen? O, that I knew this 
husband, which, you say, must charge his horns with 
garlands! 

ALEXAS 

Soothsayer! 

SOOTHSAYER 

Your will? 

CHARMIAN 

Is this the man ? — Is 't you, sir, that know things ? 

SOOTHSAYER 

In nature's infinite book of secrecy 
A little I can read. 

ALEXAS 

Show him your hand. 

Enter ENOBARBUS. 
ENOBARBUS 

Bring in the banquet quickly; wine enough 
Cleopatra's health to drink. 

CHARMIAN 

Good sir, give me good fortune. 



6 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

SOOTHSAYER 

I make not, but foresee. 

CHARMIAN 

Pray, then, foresee me one. 

SOOTHSAYER 

You shall be yet far fairer than you are. 

CHARMIAN 

He means in flesh. 

IRAS 

No, you shall paint when you are old. 

CHARMIAN 

Wrinkles forbid! 

ALEXAS 

Vex not his prescience ; be attentive. 

CHARMIAN 

Hush! 

SOOTHSAYER 

You shall be more beloving than beloved. 

CHARMIAN 

I had rather heat my liver with drinking. 

ALEXAS 

Nay, hear him. 

CHARMIAN 

Good now, some excellent fortune ! Let me be mar- 
ried to three kings in a forenoon, and widow them all : 
let me have a child at fifty, to whom Herod of Jewry 
may do homage : find me to marry me with Octavius 
Caesar, and companion me with my mistress. 

SOOTHSAYER 

You shall outlive the lady whom you serve. 



ACT /, SCENE II 7 

CHARMIAN 

O excellent! I love long life better than figs. 

SOOTHSAYER 

You have seen and proved a fairer former fortune 
Than that which is to approach. 

CHARMIAN 

Then belike my children shall have no names : pri- 
thee, how many boys and wenches must I have.? 

SOOTHSAYER 

If every of your wishes had a womb, 
And fertile every wish, a million. 

- CHARMIAN 

Out, fool! I forgive thee for a witch. 

ALEXAS 

You think none but your sheets are privy to your 
wishes. 

CHARMIAN 

Nay, come, tell Iras hers. 

ALEXAS 

We '11 know all our fortunes. 

ENOBARBUS 

Mine, and most of our fortunes, to-night, shall be 
— drunk to bed. 

IRAS 

There 's a palm presages chastity, if nothing else. 

CHARMIAN 

E'en as the o'erflowing Nilus presageth famine. 

IRAS 

Go, you wild bedfellow, you cannot soothsay. 



8 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

CHARMIAN 

Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful prognostica- 
tion, I cannot scratch mine ear. Prithee, tell her but a 
work-a-day fortune. 

SOOTHSAYER 

Your fortunes are alike. 

IRAS 

But how, but how? give me particulars. 

SOOTHSAYER 

I have said. 

IRAS 

Am I not an inch of fortune better than she ? 

CHARMIAN 

Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than 
I, where would you choose it ? 

IRAS 

Not in my husband's nose. 

CHARMIAN 

Our worser thoughts heavens mend! Alexas, — come, 
his fortune, his fortune! O, let him marry a woman that 
cannot go, sweet Isis, I beseech thee! and let her die 
too, and give him a worse! and let worse follow worse, 
till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, 
fifty-fold a cuckold ! Good Isis, hear me this prayer, 
though thou deny me a matter of more weight; good 
Isis, I beseech thee ! 

IRAS 

Amen. Dear goddess, hear that prayer of the people! 
for, as it is a heart-breaking to see a handsome man 



ACT I, SCENE II 9 

ioose-wiv'd, so it is a deadly sorrow to behold a foul 
knave uncuckolded : therefore, dear Isis,keep decorum, 
and fortune him accordingly! 

CHARMIAN 

Amen. 

ALEXAS 

Lo, now, if it lay in their hands to make me a cuck- 
old, they would make themselves whores, but they 'id 
do't! 

ENOBARBUS 

Hush! here comes Antony. 

' CHARMIAN 

Not he ; the Queen. 

Enkr CLEOPATRA. 
CLEOPATRA 

Saw you my lord ? 

ENOBARBUS 

No, lady. 

CLEOPATRA 

Was he not here "^ 

CHARMIAN 

No, madam. 

CLEOPATRA 

He was dispos'd to mirth; but on the sudden 
A Roman thought hath struck him. Enobarbus! 

ENOBARBUS 

Madam ? 

Antony and Cleopatra. 2 



lo ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

CLEOPATRA 

Seek him, and bring him hither. Where 's Alexas? 

ALEXAS 

Here, at your service. My lord approaches. 

CLEOPATRA 

We will not look upon him : go with us. 

Exeunt. 

£n/cr ANTONY with a MESSENGER and ATTENDANTS. 

MESSENGER 

Fulvia thy wife first came into the field. 

ANTONY 

Against my brother Lucius? 

MESSENGER 

Ay: 

But soon that war had end, and the time 's state 

Made friends of them, jointing their force 'gainst Caesar; 

Whose better issue in the war, from Italy, 

Upon the first encounter, drave them. 

ANTONY 

Well, what worst? 

MESSENGER 

The nature of bad news infects the teller. 

ANTONY 

When it concerns the fool or coward. On : 
Things that are past are done with me. 'T is thus ; 
Who tells me true, though in his tale lie death, 
I hear him as he flatter'd. 

MESSENGER 

Labienus — 



/ 



ACT I, SCENE II II 

This is stiff news — hath, with his Parthian force, 

Extended Asia from Euphrates ; 

His conquering banner shook from Syria 

To Lydia and to Ionia ; 

Whilst — 

ANTONY 

Antony, thou wouldst say, — 

MESSENGER 

O, my lord ! 

ANTONY 

Speak to me home, mince not the general tongue : 
Name Cleopatra as she is call'd in Rome; 
Rail thou in Fulvia's phrase; and taunt my faults 
With such full license as both truth and malice 
Have power to utter. O, then we bring forth weeds, 
When our quick minds lie still; and our ills told us 
Is as our earing. Fare thee well awhile. 

MESSENGER 

At your noble pleasure. 

Exit. 

ANTONY 

From Sicyon, ho, the news! Speak there I 

FIRST ATTENDANT 

The man from Sicyon, — is there such an one? 

SECOND ATTENDANT 

He stays upon your will. 

ANTONY 

Let him appear. 
These strong Egyptian fetters I must break, 
Or lose myself in dotage. 



12 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Enter another MESSENGER. 
What are you ? 

SECOND MESSENGER 

Fulvia thy wife is dead. 

ANTONY 

Where died she? 

SECOND MESSENGER 

In Sicyon : 

Her length of sickness, with what else more serious 

Importeth thee to know, this bears. 

Gives a letter 
ANTONY 

Forbear me. 

Exit sec. messenger 

There 's a great spirit gone! Thus did I desire it : 
What our contempt doth often hurl from us, 
We wish it ours again ; the present pleasure, 
By revolution lowVing, does become 
The opposite of itself : she 's good, being gone; 
The hand could pluck her back that shov'd her on. 
I must from this enchanting queen break off : 
Ten thousand harms, more than the ills I know, 
My idleness doth hatch. How now ! Enobarbus ! 

Ke-enter ENOBARBUS. 
ENOBARBUS 

What 's your pleasure, sir? 

ANTONY 

I must with haste from hence. 



ACT I, SCENE II i3 

ENOBARBUS 

Why, then, we kill all our women : we see how 
mortal an unkindness is to them ; if they suffer our 
departure, death 's the word. 

ANTONY 

1 must be gone. 

ENOBARBUS 

Under a compelling occasion, let women die : it 
were pity to cast them away for nothing ; though, be- 
tween them and a great cause, they should be esteemed 
nothing. Cleopatra, catching but the least noise of this, 
dies instantly; I have seen her die twenty times upon 
far poorer moment : I do think there is mettle in death, 
which commits some loving act upon her, she hath such 
a celerity in dying. 

ANTONY 

She is cunning past man's thought. 

ENOBARBUS 

Alack, sir, no ; her passions are made of nothing 
but the finest part of pure love : we cannot call her 
winds and waters sighs and tears; they are greater 
storms and tempests than almanacs can report : this 
cannot be cunning in her; if it be, she makes a shower 
of rain as well as Jove. 

ANTONY 

Would I had never seen her! 

ENOBARBUS 

O, sir, you had then left unseen a wonderful piece of 
work; which not to have been blest withal would have 
discredited your travel. 



14 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

ANTONY 



Fulvia is dead. 

Sir? 

Fulvia is dead. 

Fulvia ! 

Dead. 



ENOBARBUS 



ANTONY 



ENOBARBUS 



ANTONY 



ENOBARBUS 

Why, sir, give the gods a thankful sacrifice. When 
it pleaseth their deities to take the wife of a man from 
him, it shows to man the tailors of the earth; comfort- 
ing therein, that when old robes are worn out, there 
are members to make new. If there were no more 
women but Fulvia, then had you indeed a cut, and the 
case to be lamented : this grief is crown'd with conso- 
lation; your old smock brings forth a new petticoat : 
and indeed the tears live in an onion that should water 
this sorrow. 

ANTONY 

The business she hath broached in the state 
Cannot endure my absence. 

ENOBARBUS 

And the business you have broach'd here cannot be 
without you; especially that of Cleopatra's, which 
wholly depends on your abode. 

ANTONY 

No more light answers. Let our officers 



ACT I, SCENE II i5 

Have notice what we purpose. I shall break 

The cause of our expedience to the Queen, 

And get her leave to part. For not alone 

The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches, 

Do strongl}' speak to us ; but the letters too 

Of many our contriving friends in Rome 

Petition us at home : Sextus Pompeius 

Hath given the dare to Caesar, and commands 

The empire of the sea : our slippery people. 

Whose love is never link'd to the deserver 

Till his deserts are past, begin to throw 

Pompey the Great and all his dignities 

Upon his son ; who, high in name and power. 

Higher than both in blood and life, stands up 

For the main soldier : whose quality, going on, 

The sides o' th' world may danger : much is breeding, 

Which, like the courser's hair, hath yet but life, 

And not a serpent's poison. Say, our pleasure. 

To such whose place is under us, requires 

Our quick remove from hence. 

ENOBARBUS 

I shall do 't. 

Exeunt 

SCENE III 

The same. — Another room 
E/i/cr CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and AlEXAS. 

CLEOPATRA 

Where is he ? 



i6 ANTOXY AXD CLEOPATRA 

CHARMIAN 

I did not see him since. 

CLEOPATRA 

See \vhere he is, who 's ^vith him, what he does : 
I did not send you : if you find him sad, 
Say I am dancing; if in mirth, report 
That I am sudden sick : quick, and return. 

Exit Alexaj. 
CHARMIAN 

Madam, methinks, if you did love him dearly, 
You do not hold the method to enforce 
The like from him. 

CLEOPATRA 

What should I do, I do not? 

CHARMIAN 

In each thing give him way, cross him in nothing. 

CLEOPATRA 

Thou teachest like a fool : the w^ay to lose him. 

CHARMIAN 

Tempt him nor so too far; 1 wish, forbear : 
In time we hate that which we often fear. 
But here comes Antony. 

Enter ANTONY. 

CLEOPATRA 

I am sick and sullen. 

ANTONY 

I am sorry to give breathing to my purpose, — 

CLEOPATRA 

Help me awav, dear Charmian ; I shall fall : 



ACT I, SCENE III 17 

It cannot be thus long, the sides of nature 
Will not sustain it. 

ANTONY 

Now, my dearest queen, — 

CLEOPATRA 

Pray you, stand farther from me. 

ANTONY 

What 's the matter? 

CLEOPATRA 

I know, by that same eye, there 's some good news. 
What says the married woman? You may go: 
Would she had never given you leave to come ! 
Let her not say 't is I that keep you here: 
I have no power upon you ; hers you are. 

ANTONY 

The gods best know, — 

CLEOPATRA 

O, never was there queen 
So mightily betray'd ! yet at the first 
I saw the treasons planted. 

ANTONY 

Cleopatra, — 

CLEOPATRA 

Why should I think you can be mine and true, 
Though you in swearing shake the throned gods, 
Who have been false to Fulvia ? Riotous madness. 
To be entangled with those mouth-made vows, 
Which break themselves in swearing! 

ANTONY 

Most sweet queen, — 

Antony and Cleopatra. j 



i8 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

CLEOPATRA 

Nay, pray you, seek no colour for your going. 
But bid farewell, and go : when you sued staying. 
Then was the time for words : no going then; 
Eternity was in our lips and eyes, 
Bliss in our brows' bent; none our parts so poor, 
But was a race of heaven : they are so still, 
Or thou, the greatest soldier of the world. 
Art turn'd the greatest liar. 

ANTONY 

How now, lady ! 

CLEOPATRA 

I would I had thy inches ; thou shouldst know 
There were a heart in Egypt. 

ANTONY 

Hear me, queen : 
The strong necessity of time commands 
Our services awhile; but my full heart 
Remains in use with you. Our Italy 
Shines o'er with civil swords : Sextus Pompeius 
Makes his approaches to the port of Rome : 
Equality of two domestic powers 
Breed scrupulous faction; the hated, grown to strength, 
Are newly grown to love : the condemn'd Pompey, 
Rich in his father's honour, creeps apace 
Into the hearts of such as have not thrived 
Upon the present state, whose numbers threaten ; 
And quietness, grown sick of rest, would purge 
By any desperate change : my more particular, 



ACT I, SCENE III I 

And that which most with you should safe my going, 
Is Fulvia's death. 

CLEOPATRA 

Though age from folly could not give me freedom,- 
It does from childishness : can Fulvia die? 

ANTONY 

She 's dead, my queen : 
Look here, and at thy sovereign leisure read 
The garboils she awak'd; at the last, best : 
See when and where she died. 

CLEOPATRA 

O most false love! 
Where be the sacred vials thou shouldst fill 
With sorrowful water? Now I see, I see, 
In Fulvia's death, how mine receiv'd shall be. 

ANTONY 

Quarrel no more, but be prepar'd to know 
The purposes I bear; which are, or cease. 
As you shall give the advice. By the fire 
That quickens Nilus' slime, I go from hence 
Thy soldier, servant; making peace or war 
As thou affect'st. 

CLEOPATRA 

Cut my lace, Charmian, come; 
But let it be : I am quickly ill, and well. 
So Antony loves. 

ANTONY 

My precious queen, forbear ; 
And give true evidence to his love, which stands 
An honourable trial. 



20 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

CLEOPATRA 

So Fulvia told me. 
I prithee, turn aside and weep for her; 
Then bid adieu to me, and say the tears 
Belong to Egypt : good now, play one scene 
Of excellent dissembling; and let it look 
Like perfect honour. 

ANTONY 

You '11 heat my blood : no more. 

CLEOPATRA 

You can do better yet; but this is meetly. 

ANTONY 

Now, by my sword, — 

CLEOPATRA 

And target. Still he mends; 
But this is not the best. Look, prithee, Charmian, 
How this Herculean Roman does become 
The carriage of his chafe. 

ANTONY 

I '11 leave you, lady. 

CLEOPATRA 

Courteous lord, one word. 
Sir, you and I must part, but that 's not it ; 
Sir, you and I have lov'd, but there 's not it ; 
That you know well : something it is I would, — 
O, my oblivion is a very Antony, 
And I am all forgotten. 

ANTONY 

But that your royalty 



ACT I, SCENE 111 21 

Holds idleness your subject, I should take you 
For idleness itself. 

CLEOPATRA 

'T is sweating labour 
To bear such idleness so near the heart 
As Cleopatra this. But, sir, forgive me; 
Since my becomings kill me, when they do not 
Eye well to you : your honour calls you hence; 
Therefore be deaf to my unpitied folly, 
And all the gods go with you ! upon your sword 
Sit laurel'd victory ! and smooth success 
Be strewM before your feet! 

ANTONY 

Let us go. Come; 
Our separation so abides, and flies, 
That thou, residing here, go'st yet with me, 
And I, hence fleeting, here remain with thee. 
Away! 

Exeunt. 



SCENE IV 

Rome. — Cesar's house 

Enter OCTAVIUS CiESAR, reading a letter, 
LEPIDUS, and their TRAIN 

CyESAR 

You may see, Lepidus, and henceforth know. 
It is not Cassar's natural vice to hate 
Our great competitor : from Alexandria 



22 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

This is the news : he fishes, drinks, and wastes 
The lamps of night in revel; is not more manlike 
Than Cleopatra ; nor the queen of Ptolemy 
More womanly than he; hardly gave audience, or 
Vouchsaf'd to think he had partners : you shall find there 
A man who is the abstract of all faults 
That all men follow. 

LEPIDUS 

1 must not think there are 
Evils enow to darken all his goodness : 
His faults in him seem as the spots of heaven, 
More fiery by night's blackness; hereditary, 
Rather than purchased; what he cannot change. 
Than what he chooses. 

Cits A R 
You are too indulgent. Let us grant, it is not 
Amiss to tumble on the bed of Ptolemy; 
To give a kingdom for a mirth; to sit 
And keep the turn of tippling with a slave ; 
To reel the streets at noon, and stand the buffet 
With knaves that smell of sweat : say this becomes him, — 
As his composure must be rare indeed 
Whom these things cannot blemish, — yet must Antony 
No way excuse his soils, when we do bear 
So great weight in his lightness. If he fiU'd 
His vacancy with his voluptuousness. 
Full surfeits, and the dryness of his bones, 
Call on him for 't : but to confound such time. 
That drums him from his sport, and speaks as loud 
As his own state and ours, — 't is to be chid 



ACT I, SCENE IV 23 

As we rate boys, who, being mature in knowledge, 
Pawn their experience to their present pleasure, 
And so rebel to judgement. 

Enter a MESSENGER 

LEPIDUS 

Here 's more news. 

MESSENGER 

Thy biddings have been done; and every hour, 
Most noble Caesar, shalt thou have report 
How 't is abroad. Pompey is strong at sea ; 
And it appears he is belov'd of those 
That only have fear'd Caesar : to the ports 
The discontents repair, and men's reports 
Give him much wrong'd. 

CJESAK 

I should have known no less. 
It hath been taught us from the primal state. 
That he w^hich is was wish'd until he were ; 
And the ebb'd man, ne'er loved till ne'er worth love. 
Comes dear'd by being lack'd. This common body, 
Like to a vagabond flag upon the stream. 
Goes to and back, lackeying the varying tide. 
To rot itself with motion. 

MESSENGER 

Caesar, I bring thee word, 
Menecrates and Menas, famous pirates. 
Make the sea serve them, which they ear and wound 
With keels of every kind : many hot inroads 



24 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

They make in Italy; the borders maritime 
Lack blood to think on 't, and flush youth revolt: 
No vessel can peep forth, but 't is as soon 
Taken as seen; for Pompey's name strikes more 
Than could his war resisted. 

CytSAR 

Antony, 
Leave thy lascivious wassails. When thou once 
Wast beaten from Modena, where thou slew'st 
Hirtius and Pansa, consuls, at thy heel 
Did famine follow ; whom thou fought'st against, 
Though daintily brought up, with patience more 
Than savages could suffer : thou didst drink 
The stale of horses, and the gilded puddle 
Which beasts would cough at : thy palate then did deign 
The roughest berry on the rudest hedge; 
Yea, like the stag, when snow the pasture sheets, 
The barks of trees thou browsed'st; on the Alps 
It is reported thou didst eat strange flesh. 
Which some did die to look on : and all this — 
It wounds thine honour that I speak it now — 
Was borne so like a soldier, that thy cheek 
So much as lank'd not. 

LEPIDUS 

'T is pity of him. 

CyESAR 

Let his shames quickly 

Drive him to Rome : 't is time we twain 

Did show ourselves i' th' field; and to that end 



ACT I, SCENE IV -n 

Assemble we immediate council : Pompey 
Thrives in our idleness. 

LEPIDUS 

To-morrow, Caesar, 
I shall be furnishM to inform you rightly 
Both what by sea and land I can be able 
To front this present time. 

CytSAR 

Till which encounter, 
It is my business too. Farewell. 

LEPIDUS 

Farewell, my lord : what you shall know meantime 
Of stirs abroad, I shall beseech you, sir, 
To let me be partaker. 

CiESAR 

Doubt not, sir; 
I knew it for my bond. 

Exeunt. 



SCENE V 

Alexandria. — Cleopatra's palace 

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS 
and MARDIAN 

CLEOPATRA 

Charmian ! 

CHARMIAN 

Madam ? 

Antony and Cleopatra. ■* 



26 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

CLEOPATRA 

Ha, ha! 

Give me to drink mandragora. 

CHARMIAN 

Why, madam ? 

CLEOPATRA 

That 1 might sleep out this great gap of time 
My Antony is away. 

CHARMIAN 

You think of him too much. 

CLEOPATRA 

O, 't is treason ! 

CHARMIAN 

Madam, I trust, not so. 

CLEOPATRA 

Thou, eunuch Mardian ! 

MARDIAN 

What 's your highness' pleasure ? 

CLEOPATRA 

Not now to hear thee sing; I take no pleasure 
In aught an eunuch has : 't is well for thee. 
That, being unseminar'd, thy freer thoughts 
May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections? 

MARDIAN 

Yes, gracious madam. 

CLEOPATRA 

Indeed! 

MARDIAN 

Not in deed, madam ; for I can do nothing 
But what indeed is honest to be done : 



ACT 1, SCENE V 27 

Yet have I fierce affections, and think 
What Venus did with Mars. 

CLEOPATRA 

O Charmian, 
Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits he? 
Or does he walk ? or is he on his horse ? 
O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony ! 
Do bravely, horse ! for wot'st thou whom thou mov'st ? 
The demi- Atlas of this earth, the arm 
And burgonet of men. He 's speaking now, 
Or murmuring a Where 's my serpent of old Nile? » 
For so he calls me : now I feed myself 
With most delicious poison. Think on me, 
That am with Phoebus' amorous pinches black, 
And wrinkled deep in time? Broad-fronted Caesar, 
When thou wast here above the ground, I was 
A morsel for a monarch : and great Pompey 
Would stand and make his eyes grow in my brow ; 
There would he anchor his aspect and die 
With looking on his life. 

Enter ALEXAS 
ALEXAS 

Sovereign of Egypt, hail ! 

CLEOPATRA 

How much unlike art thou Mark Antony ! 
Yet, coming from him, that great medicine hath 
With his tinct gilded thee. 
How goes it with my brave Mark Antony? 



-.8 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

ALEXAS 

Last thing he did, dear queen, 

He kiss'd, — the last of many doubled kisses, — 

This orient pearl. His speech sticks in my heart. 

CLEOPATRA 

Mine ear must pluck it thence. 

ALEXAS 

f( Good friend, » quoth he, 
(( Say, the firm Roman to great Egypt sends 
This treasure of an oyster; at whose foot, 
To mend the petty present, I will piece 
Her opulent throne with kingdoms; all the east. 
Say thou, shall call her mistress. » So he nodded, 
And soberly did mount an arm-girt steed. 
Who neigh'd so high, that what I would have spoke 
Was beastly dumb'd by him. 

CLEOPATRA 

What, was he sad or merry ? 

ALEXAS 

Like to the time o' the year between the extremes 
Of hot and cold, he was nor sad nor merry. 

CLEOPATRA 

O well-divided disposition 1 Note him. 

Note him, good Charmian, 't is the man ; but note him : 

He was not sad, for he would shine on those 

That make their looks by his; he was not merry, 

Which seem'd to tell them his remembrance lay 

In Egypt with his joy; but between both : 

O heavenly mingle! Be'st thou sad or merry. 



ACT I, SCENE V 

The violence of either thee becomes, 

So does it no man else. Met'st thou my posts? 

ALEXAS 

Ay, madam, twenty several messengers : 
Why do you send so thick? 

CLEOPATRA 

Who 's born that day 
When I forget to send to Antony, 
Shall die a beggar. Ink and paper, Charmian. 
Welcome, my good Alexas. Did I, Charmian, 
Ever love Cassar so? 

CHARMIAN 

O that brave Caesar! 

CLEOPATRA 

Be chok'd with such another emphasis! 
Say, the brave Antony. 

CHARMIAN 

The valiant Caesar ! 

CLEOPATRA 

By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth. 
If thou with Caesar paragon again 
My man of men. 

CHARMIAN 

By your most gracious pardon, 
I sing but after you. 

CLEOPATRA 

My salad days, 
When I was green in judgement : cold in blood, 



DO 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 



To say as I said then! But, come, away; 
Get me ink and paper : 
He shall have every day a several greeting. 
Or I '11 unpeople Egypt. 



Exeunt. 





ACT II 



iVi 



SCENE I 



Messina. — Pompey's house 



Enter POMPEY, MENECRATES, and MENAS 
in warlike manner 



POMPEY 

If the great gods be just, they shall assist 
The deeds of justest men. 

MENECRATES 

Know, worthy Pompey, 
That what they do delay, they not deny. 

POMPEY 

Whiles we are suitors to their throne, decays 



32 ANTONY AND CLEOPATHA 

The thing we sue for. 

MENECRATES 

We, ignorant of ourselves, 
Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers 
Deny us for our good : so find we profit 
By losing of our prayers. 

POMPEY 

I shall do well : 
The people love me, and the sea is mine; 
My powers are crescent, and my auguring hope 
Says it will come to the full. Mark Antony 
In Egypt sits at dinner, and will make 
No wars without doors : C^sar gets money where 
He loses hearts : Lepidus flatters both, 
Of both is flatter'd ; but he neither loves, 
Nor either cares for him. 

MENAS 

Caesar and Lepidus 
Are in the field : a mighty strength they carry. 

POMPEY 

Where have you this? 't is false. 

MENAS 

From Silvius, sir. 

POMPEY 

He dreams : I know they are in Rome together. 

Looking for Antony. But all the charms of love. 

Salt Cleopatra, soften thy wan'd lip ! 

Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both ! 

Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts, 

Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks 



ACT II, SCENE 1 33 

Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite ; 

That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour 

Even till a Lethe'd dulness ! 

Enter VARRIUS. 

How now, Varrius! 

VARRIUS 

This is most certain that I shall deliver i 
Mark Antony is every hour in Rome 
Expected : since he went from Egypt 't is 
A space for further travel. 

POMPEY 

I could have given less matter 
A better ear. Menas, I did not think 
This amorous surfeiter would have donn'd his helm 
For such a petty war : his soldiership 
Is twice the other twain : but let us rear 
The higher our opinion, that our stirring 
Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck 
The ne'er-lust-wearied Antony. 

MENAS 

I cannot hope 
Ca5sar and Antony shall well greet together: 
His wife that 's dead did trespasses to Caesar; 
His brother warr'd upon him; although, I think, 
Not mov'd by Antony. 

POMPEY 

I know not, Menas, 
How lesser enmities may give way to greater. 
Were 't not that we stand up against them all, 

Antony and Cleopatra. 5 



34 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

'T were pregnant they should square between themselves; 

For they have entertained cause enough 

To draw their swords : but how the fear of us 

May cement their divisions and bind up 

The petty difference, we yet not know. 

Be 't as our gods will have 't ! It only stands 

Our lives upon to use our strongest hands. 

Come, Menas. Exeunt. 

SCENE II 

Rome. — A Room in the house of Lepidus 

Enter ENOBARBUS and LEPIDUS. 

LEPIDUS 

Good Enobarbus, 't is a worthy deed. 

And shall become you well, to entreat your captain 

To soft and gentle speech. 

ENOBARBUS 

I shall entreat him 
To answer like himself : if Caesar move him, 
Let Antony look over Caesar's head 
And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter, 
Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard, 
I would not shave 't to-day. 

LEPIDUS 

'T is not a time 
For private stomaching. 

ENOBARBUS 

Everv time 



ACT II, SCENE II 35 

Serves for the matter that is then born in 't. 

LEPIDUS 

But small to greater matters must give way. 

ENOBARBUS 

Not if the small come first. 

LEPIDUS 

Your speech is passion : 
But, pray you, stir no embers up. Here comes 
The noble Antony. 

Enter ANTONY and VENTIDIUS. 
ENOBARBUS 

And yonder, Caesar. 

Enter C^SAR, MEC^NAS and AGRIPPA. 
ANTONY 

If we compose well here, to Parthia : 
Hark, Ventidius. 

CiESAR 

I do not know, 
Mecaenas ; ask Agrippa. 

LEPIDUS 

Noble friends. 
That which combined us was most great, and let not 
A leaner action rend us. What 's amiss, 
May it be gently heard : when we debate 
Our trivial difference loud, we do commit 
Murther in healing wounds : then, noble partners. 
The rather, for I earnestly beseech. 



36 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms, 
Nor curstness grow to the matter. 

ANTONY 

'T is spoken well. 
Were we before our armies, and to fight, 
1 should do thus. 

Flourish. 
CjESAR 

Welcome to Rome. 

ANTONY 

Thank you. 

CitSAR 

Sit. 
ANTONY 

Sit, sir. 

C^SAR 

Nay, then. 

ANTONY 

I learn, you take things ill which are not so, 
Or being, concern you not. 

CitSAR 

I must be laugh'd at. 
If, or for nothing or a little, I 
Should say myself offended, and with you 
Chiefly i' th' world ; more laugh'd at, that I should 
Once name you derogately, when to sound your name 
It not concern'd me. 

ANTONY 

My being in Egypt, Cassar, 
What was 't to you? 



ACT II, SCENE II 37 

CitSAR 

No more than my residing here at Rome 
Might be to you in Egypt : yet, if you there 
Did practise on my state, your being in Egypt 
Might be my question. 

ANTONY 

How intend you, practis'd? 

C^SAR 

You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent 
By what did here befal me. Your wife and brother 
Made wars upon me ; and their contestation 
Was theme for you, you were the word of war. 

ANTONY 

You do mistake your business; my brother never 

Did urge me in his act : I did inquire it; 

And have my learning from some true reports. 

That drew their swords with you. Did he not rather 

Discredit my authority with yours ; 

And make the w^ars alike against my stomach, 

Having alike your cause ? Of this my letters 

Before did satisfy you. If you '11 patch a quarrel, 

As matter whole you have not to make it with. 

It must not be with this. 

CiESAR 

You praise yourself 
By laying defects of judgement to me ; but 
You patch'd up your excuses. 

ANTONY 

Not so, not so : 
I know you could not lack, I am certain on 't, 



38 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Very necessity of this thought, that 1, 

Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought. 

Could not with graceful eyes attend those wars 

Which fronted mine own peace. As for my wife, 

I would you had her spirit in such another : 

The third o' the world is yours; which with a snaffle 

You may pace easy, but not such a wife. 

ENOBARBUS 

Would we had all such wives, that the men might 
go to wars with the women ! 

ANTONY 

So much uncurbable her garboils, Cassar, 
Made out of her impatience, which not wanted 
Shrewdness of policy too, I grieving grant 
Did you too much disquiet : for that you must 
But say, I could not help it. 

CitSAR 

I wrote to you 
When rioting in Alexandria*, you 
Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts 
Did gibe my missive out of audience. 

ANTONY 

Sir, 
He fell upon me ere admitted : then 
Three kings I had newly feasted, and did want 
Of what I was i' th' morning : but next day 
I told him of myself; which was as much 
As to have ask'd him pardon. Let this fellow 
Be nothing of our strife; if we contend, 
Out of our question wipe him. 



ACT II, SCENE II 
CiESAR 

You have broken 

The article of your oath ; which you shall never 
Have tongue to charge me with. 

LEPIDUS 

Soft, Caesar! 

ANTONY 



No, 



Lepidus, let him speak : 
The honour is sacred which he talks on now, 
Supposing that I lack'd it. But, on, Caesar; 
The article of my oath. 

CvESAR 

To lend me arms and aid when I required them ; 
The which you both denied. 

ANTONY 

Neglected, rather; 
And then when poison'd hours had bound me up 
From mine own knowledge. As nearly as I may, 
I '11 play the penitent to you : but mine honesty 
Shall not make poor my greatness, nor my power 
Work without it. Truth is, that Fulvia, 
To have me out of Egypt, made wars here; 
For which myself, the ignorant motive, do 
So far ask pardon as befits mine honour 
To stoop in such a case. 

LEPIDUS 

'T is noble spoken. 

MECiflNAS 

If it might please you, to enforce no further 



40 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

The griefs between ye : to forget them quite 
Were to remember that the present need 
Speaks to atone you. 

LEPIDUS 

Worthily spoken, Mecaenas. 

ENOBARBUS 

Or, if you borrow one another's love for the instant, 
you may, when you hear no more words of Pompey, 
return it again : you shall have time to wrangle in when 
you have nothing else to do. 

ANTONY 

Thou art a soldier only : speak no more. 

ENOBARBUS 

That truth should be silent I had almost forgot. 

ANTONY 

You wrong this presence; therefore speak no more. 

ENOBARBUS 

Go to, then ; your considerate stone. 

CvESAR 

1 do not much dislike the matter, but 

The manner of his speech ; for 't cannot be 

We shall remain in friendship, our conditions 

So differing in their acts. Yet, if I knew 

What hoop should hold us stanch, from edge to edge 

O' th' world I would pursue it. 

AGRIPPA 

Give me leave, Caesar, — 

CiESAR 

Speak, Agrippa. 



ACT II, SCENE II 41 

AGRIPPA 

Thou hast a sister by the mother's side, 
Admir'd Octavia : great Mark Antony 
Is now a widower. 

CyESAR 

Say not so, Agrippa : 
If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof 
Were well deserved of rashness. 

ANTONY 

I am not married, C.assar : let me hear 
Agrippa further speak. 

AGRIPPA 

To hold you in perpetual amity. 

To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts 

With an unslipping knot, take Antony 

Octavia to his wife; whose beauty claims 

No worse a husband than the best of men ; 

Whose virtue and whose general graces speak 

That which none else can utter. By this marriage, 

All little jealousies, which now seem great, 

And all great fears, which now import their dangers, 

Would then be nothing : truths would be tales, 

Where now half tales be truths : her love to both 

Would, each to other and all loves to both, 

Draw after her. Pardon what I have spoke; 

For 't is a studied, not a present thought. 

By duty ruminated. 

ANTONY 

Will Caesar speak? 

Antony and Cleopatra. 6 



42 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

CitSAR 

Not till he hears how Antony is touchM 
With what is spoke already. 

ANTONY 

What power is in Agrippa, 
If I would say, « Agrippa, be it so », 
To make this good ? 

CiESAR 

The power of Cassar, and 
His power unto Octavia. 

ANTONY 

May I never 
To this good purpose, that so fairly shows. 
Dream of impediment! Let me have thy hand : 
Further this act of grace ; and from this hour 
The heart of brothers govern in our loves 
And sway our great designs! 

CiESAR 

' There is my hand. 

A sister I bequeath you, whom no brother 
Did ever love so dearly : let her live 
To join our kingdoms and our hearts; and never 
Fly off our loves again ! 

LEPIDUS 

Happily, amen! 

ANTONY . 

I did not think to draw my sword 'gainst Pompey; 
For he hath laid strange courtesies and great 
Of late upon me : I must thank him only. 
Lest my remembrance suffer ill report; 



ACT II, SCENE II 43 

At heel of that, defy him. 

LEPIDUS 

Time calls upon 's : 
Of us must Pompey presently be sought, 
Or else he seeks out us. 

ANTONY 

Where lies he? 

CyESAR 

About the mount Misenum. 

ANTONY 

What is his strength by land? 

CiESAR 

Great and increasing : but by sea 
He is an absolute master. 

ANTONY 

So is the fame. 
Would we had spoke together! Haste we for it : 
Yet, ere we put ourselves in arms, dispatch we 
The business we have talk'd of. 

CiESAR 

With most gladness; 
And do invite you to my sister's view, 
Whither straight I '11 lead you. 

ANTONY 

Let us, Lepidus, 
Not lack your company. 

LEPIDUS 

Noble Antony, 
Not sickness should detain me. 

Flourish. Exeunt Caesar, Antony and Lepidus. 



44 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

MEC/ENAS 

Welcome from Egypt, sir. 

ENOBARBUS 

Half the heart of Caesar, worthy Mecasnas ! My 
honourable friend, Agrippa! 

AGRIPPA 

Good Enobarbus! 

MECiENAS 

We have cause to be glad that matters are so well 
digested. You stayed well by 't in Egypt. 

ENOBARBUS 

Ay, sir; we did sleep day out of countenance, and 
made the night light with drinking. 

MECiENAS 

Eight wild-boars roasted whole at a breakfast, and 
but twelve persons there; is this true? 

ENOBARBUS 

This was but as a fly by an eagle : we had much 
more monstrous matter of feast, which worthily deser- 
ved noting. 

MECyENAS 

She 's a most triumphant lady, if report be square 
to her. 

ENOBARBUS 

When she first met Mark Antony, she purs'd up his 
heart, upon the river of Cydnus. 

AGRIPPA 

There she appeared indeed; or my reporter devis'd 
well for her. 



ACT II, SCENE II 45 

ENOBARBUS 

I will tell you. 

The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne, 

Burn'd on the water : the poop was beaten gold; 

Purple the sails, and so perfumed that 

The winds were love-sick with them ; the oars were silver. 

Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made 

The water which they beat to follow faster. 

As amorous of their strokes. For her own person, 

It beggar'd all description : she did lie 

In her pavilion — cloth-of-gold of tissue — 

O'er-picturing that Venus where we see 

The fancy outwork nature : on each side her 

Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids, 

With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem 

To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool. 

And what they undid did. 

AGRIPPA 

O, rare for Antony ! 

ENOBARBUS 

Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides, 
So many mermaids, tended her i' th' eyes, 
And made their bends adornings : at the helm 
A seeming mermaid steers : the silken tackle 
Swell with the touches of those flower-soft hands. 
That yarely frame the office. From the barge 
A strange invisible perfume hits the sense 
Of the adjacent wharfs. The city cast 
Her people out upon her; and Antony, 
Enthroned i' th' market-place, did sit alone, 



46 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Whistling to th' air; which, but for vacancy, 
Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too 
And made a gap in nature. 

AGRIPPA 

Rare Egyptian 1 

ENOBARBUS 

upon her landing, Antony sent to her, 

Invited her to supper : she replied, 

It should be better he became her guest; 

Which she entreated : our courteous Antony, 

Whom ne'er the word of « No « woman heard speak, 

Being barber'd ten times o'er, goes to the feast, 

And for his ordinary pays his heart 

For what his eyes eat only. 

AGRIPPA 

Royal wench ! 
She made great Caesar lay his sword to bed : 
He plough'd her, and she cropp'd. 

ENOBARBUS 

I saw her once 
Hop forty paces through the public street; 
And having lost her breath, she spoke, and panted, 
That she did make defect perfection. 
And, breathless, power breathe forth. 

MEC^ENAS 

Now Antony must leave her utterly. 

ENOBARBUS 

Never; he will not: 

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale 

Her infinite variety : other women cloy 



ACT 11, SCESE 11 47 

The appetites they feed : but she makes hungry 
Where most she satisfies : for vilest things 
Become themselves in her ; that the holy priests 
Bless her when she is riggish. 

MECiENAS 

If beauty, wisdom, modesty, can settle 
The heart of Antony, Octavia is 
A blessed lottery to him. 

AGRIPPA 

Let us go. 
Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest 
Whilst you abide here, 

ENOBARBUS 

Humbly, sir, 1 thank you. 

Exeunt. 



SCENE III 

The same. — Cesar's house 

Enter ANTONY, C£SAR, OCTAVIA between them, 
and ATTENDANTS. 

ANTONY 

The world and my great office will sometimes 
Divide me from your bosom. 

OCTAVIA 

All which time 
Before the gods my knee shall bow my prayers 
To them for you. 



48 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

ANTONY 

Good night, sir. My Octavia, 
Read not my blemishes in the world's report : 
I have not kept my square; but that to come 
Shall all be done by the rule. Good night, dear lady. 
Good night, sir. 

CiESAR 

Good night. 

Exeunt Caesar and Octavia. 

Enter SOOTHSAYER. 

ANTONY 

Now, sirrah ; you do wish yourself in Egypt ? 

SOOTHSAYER 

Would 1 had never come from thence, nor you 
Thither! 

ANTONY 

^ If you can, your reason? 

SOOTHSAYER 

I see it in 
My motion, have it not in my tongue : but yet 
Hie you to Egypt again. 

ANTONY 

Say to me, 
Whose fortunes shall rise higher, Caesar's or mine ? 

SOOTHSAYER 

Caesar's. 

Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side : 
Thy demon, that 's thy spirit which keeps thee, is 
Noble, courageous, high, unmatchable. 



ACT II, SCENE III 49 

Where Caesar's is not; but, near him, thy angel 
Becomes a fear, as being o'erpower'd : therefore 
Make space between you. 

ANTONY 

Speak this no more. 

SOOTHSAYER 

To none but thee; no more, but when to thee. 

If thou dost play with him at any game, 

Thou art sure to lose; and, of that natural luck. 

He beats thee 'gainst the odds : thy lustre thickens, 

When he shines by : I say again, thy spirit 

Is all afraid to govern thee near him ; 

But, he away, 't is noble. 

ANTONY 

Get thee gone : 
Say to Ventidius I would speak with him: 

Exit Soothsayer. 

He shall to Parthia. Be it art or hap, 
He hath spoken true : the very dice obey him ; 
And in our sports my better cunning faints 
Under his chance : if we draw lots, he speeds; 
His cocks do win the battle §till of mine, 
When it is all to nought; and his quails ever 
Beat mine, inhoop'd, at odds. I will to Egypt : 
And though I make this marriage for my peace, 
r th^ east my pleasure lies. 

Enter VENTIDIUS. 

O, come, Ventidius, 
You must to Parthia : your commission 's ready; 

Antony and Cleopatra. 7 



5o ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

Follow me, and receive 't. 



Exeuni. 



SCENE IV 

The same. — A street 

Enter LEPIDUS, MECiENAS and AGRIPPA. 

LEPIDUS 

Trouble yourselves no further : pray you, hasten 
Your generals after. 

AGRIPPA 

Sir, Mark Antony 
Will e'en but kiss Octavia, and we '11 follow. 

LEPIDUS 

Till I shall see you in your soldier's dress, 
Which will become you both, farewell. 

MECyENAS 

We shall, 
As I conceive the journey, be at the Mount 
Before you, Lepidus. 

LEPIDUS 

Your way is shorter; 
My purposes do draw me much about : 
You '11 win two days upon me. 

MECiENAS, AGRIPPA 

Sir, good success! 

LEPIDUS 

Farewell. 

Exeunt. 



ACT II, SCENE V 5i 

SCENE V 

Alexandria. — Cleopatra's palace 

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS and ALEXAS. 

CLEOPATRA 

Give me some music; music, moody food 
Of us that trade, in love. 

ATTENDANTS 

The music, ho! 
Enter MARDIAN the Eunuch. 
CLEOPATRA 

Let it alone; let 's to billiards : come, Charmian. 

CHARMIAN 

My arm is sore; best play with Mardian. 

CLEOPATRA 

As well a woman with an eunuch play'd 

As with a woman. Come, you Ml play with me, sir? 

MARDIAN 

As well as I can, madam. 

CLEOPATRA 

And when good will is show'd, though 't come too short. 
The actor may plead pardon. I '11 none now : 
Give me mine angle; we '11 to the river : there. 
My music playing far off, I will betray 
Tawny-finn'd fishes; my bended hook shall pierce 
Their slimy jaws; and, as I draw them up. 



52 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

1 '11 think them every one an Antony, 
And say « Ah, ha! you 're caught ». 

CHARMIAN 

'T was merry when 
You wager'd on your angling; when your diver 
Did hang a salt-fish on his hook, which he 
With fervency drew up. 

CLEOPATRA 

That time, — O times ! — 
I laugh'd him out of patience; and that night 
I laugh'd him into patience : and next morn, 
Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed; 
Then put my tires and mantles on him, whilst 
I wore his sword Philippan. 

Enter a MESSENGER. 

O, from Italy ! 
Ram thou thy fruitful tidings in mine ears. 
That long time have been barren. 

MESSENGER 

Madam, madam, — 

CLEOPATRA 

Antonius dead ! — If thou say so, villain, 
Thou kill'st thy mistress : but well and free, 
If thou so yield him, there is gold, and here 
My bluest veins to kiss ; a hand that kings 
Have lipp'd, and trembled kissing. 

MESSENGER 

First, madam, he is well. 



ACT II, SCENE V 53 

CLEOPATRA 

Why, there 's more gold. 
But, sirrah, mark, we use 
To say the dead are well : bring it to that, 
The gold I give thee will I melt and pour 
Down thy ill-uttering throat. 

MESSENGER 

Good madam, hear me. 

CLEOPATRA 

Well, go to, I will; 
But there 's no goodness in thy face : if Antony 
Be free and healthful, — so tart a favour 
To trumpet such good tidings ! If not well. 
Thou shouldst come like a Fury crownM with snakes. 
Not like a formal man. 

MESSENGER 

Will 't please you hear me ? 

CLEOPATRA 

I have a mind to strike thee ere thou speak'st : 
Yet, if thou say Antony lives, is well, 
Or friends with Caesar, or not captive to him, 
I '11 set thee in a shower of gold, and hail 
Rich pearls upon thee. 

MESSENGER 

Madam, he 's well. 

CLEOPATRA 

Well said. 

MESSENGER 

And friends with Caesar. 



54 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

CLEOPATRA 

Thou 'rt an honest man. 

MESSENGER 

Caesar and he are greater friends than ever. 

CLEOPATRA 

Make thee a fortune from me. 

MESSENGER 

But yet, madam, — 

CLEOPATRA 

I do not like « But yet », it does allay 

The good precedence; fie upon « But yet w ! 

« But yet )) is as a gaoler to bring forth 

Some monstrous malefactor. Prithee, friend, 

Pour out the pack of matter to mine ear. 

The good and bad together : he 's friends with Cassar 

In state of health thou say'st; and thou say'st free. 

MESSENGER 

Free, madam! no; I made no such report : 
He 's bound unto Octavia. 

CLEOPATRA 

For what good turn ? 

MESSENGER 

For the best turn i' th' bed. 

CLEOPATRA 

I am pale, Charmian. 

MESSENGER 

Madam, he 's married to Octavia. 

CLEOPATRA 

The most infectious pestilence upon thee ! 

Strikes him down. 



ACT 11, SCENE V S5 

MESSENGER 

Good madam, patience. 

CLEOPATRA 

What say you? Hence, 

Strikes him again. 

Horrible villain ! or I '11 spurn thine eyes 
Like balls before me; I '11 unhair thy head : 

She hales him up and down. 

Thou shalt be whipp'd with wire, and stew'd in brine, 
Smarting in lingering pickle. 

MESSENGER 

Gracious madam, 
I that do bring the news made not the match. 

CLEOPATRA 

Say 't is not so, a province I will give thee, 

And make thy fortunes proud : the blow thou hadst 

Shall make thy peace for moving me to rage : 

And I will boot thee with what gift beside 

Thy modesty can beg. 

MESSENGER 

He 's married, madam. 

CLEOPATRA 

Rogue, thou hast liv'd too long. 

Draws a knife. 
MESSENGER 

Nay, then I '11 run. 
What mean you, madam ? I have made no fault. 

Exit. 
CHARMIAN 

Good madam, keep yourself within yourself: 
The man is innocent. 



56 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

CLEOPATRA 

Some innocents 'scape not the thunderbolt. 
Melt Egypt into Nile! and kindly creatures 
Turn all to serpents! Call the slave again : 
Though I am mad, 1 will not bite him : call. 

CHARMIAN 

He is afeard to come. 

CLEOPATRA 

I will not hurt him. 

Exit Charmian. 

These hands do lack nobility, that they strike 
A meaner than myself; since I myself 
Have given myself the cause. 

Re-enter CHARMIAN and MESSENGER. 

Come hither, sir. 
Though it be honest, it is never good 
To bring bad news : give to a gracious message 
An host of tongues ; but let ill tidings tell 
Themselves when they be felt. 

MESSENGER 

I have done my duty. 

CLEOPATRA 

Is he married? 

I cannot hate thee worser than I do, 

If thou again say Yes. 

MESSENGER 

He 's married, madam. 

CLEOPATRA 

The gods confound thee! dost thou hold there still? 



ACT II, SCESE V 57 

MESSENGER 

Should I lie, madam? 

CLEOPATRA 

O, I would thou didst. 
So half my Egypt were submerg'd aad made 
A cistern for scalM snakes ! Go, get thee hence : 
Hadst thou Narcissus in thy face, to me 
Thou wouldst appear most ugly. He is married? 

MESSENGER 

I crave your highness' pardon. 

CLEOPATRA 

He is married ? 

MESSENGER 

Take no offence that I would not offend you : 
To punish me for what you make me do 
Seems much unequal : he 's married to Octavia. 

CLEOPATRA 

O, that his fault should make a knave of thee. 
That art but what thou 'rt sure of. Get thee hence ; 
The merchandise which thou hast brought from Rome 
Are all too dear for me : lie they upon thy hand, 
x\nd be undone by 'em I 

Exit Messenger. 

CHARM IAN 

Good your highness, patience, 

CLEOPATRA 

In praising Antony, I have dispraised Cassar. 

CHARM IAN 

Many times, madam. 

Antony and Clsooatra. 8 



% 



58 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

CLEOPATRA 

I am paid for 't now. 
Lead me from hence ; 

I faint : O Iras, Charmian ! 't is no matter. 
Go to the fellow, good Alexas ; bid him 
Report the feature of Octavia, her years, 
Her inclination, let him not leave out 
The colour of her hair : bring me word quickly. 

Exit Alexas. 

Let him for ever go : — let him not — Charmian, 
Though he be painted one way like a Gorgon, 
The other way 's a Mars. Bid you Alexas 

To Mardian. 

Bring me word how tall she is. Pity me, Charmian, 
But do not speak to me. Lead me to my chamber. 

Exeunt. 



SCENE VI 

Near Misenum 
Flourish. 

Enter POMPEY and MENAS at one side 
with drum and trumpet; 
at another, CiESAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, ENOBARBUS, 
MEC.£NAS, with SOLDIERS marching. 

^ POMPEY 

Your hostages I have, so have you mine; 
And we shall talk before we fight. 



ACT II, SCENE VI 59 

CvESAR 

Most meet 
That first we come to words; and therefore have we 
Our written purposes before us sent ; 
Which, if thou hast considered, let us know 
If 't will tie up thy discontented sword, 
And carry back to Sicily much tall youth 
That else must perish here. 

POMPEY 

To you all three, 
The senators alone of this great world, 
Chief factors for the gods, I do not know 
Wherefore my father should revengers want, 
Having a son and friends; since Julius Caesar, 
Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted. 
There saw you labouring for him. What was 't 
That moved pale Cassius to conspire; and what 
Made the all-honour'd, honest Roman, Brutus, 
With the arm'd rest, courtiers of beauteous freedom, 
To drench the Capitol; but that they would 
Have one man but a man ? And that is it 
Hath made me rig my navy; at whose burthen 
The anger'd ocean foams; with which I meant 
To scourge the ingratitude that despiteful Rome 
Cast on my noble father. 

C>ESAR 

Take your time. 

ANTONY 

Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy sails; 



6o ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

We '11 speak with thee at sea : at land, thou know'st 
How much we do o'er-count thee. 

POMPEY 

At land, indeed, 
Thou dost o'er-count me of my father's house : 
But, since the cuckoo builds not for himself, 
Remain in 't as thou mayst. 

LEPIDUS 

Be pleas'd to tell us — 
For this is from the present — how you take 
The offers w^e have sent you. 

C^SAR 

There 's the point. 

ANTONY 

Which do not be entreated to, but weigh 
What it is worth embrac'd. 

CiESAR 

And what may follow, 
To try a larger fortune. 

POMPEY 

You have made me offer 
Of Sicily, Sardinia; and I must 
Rid all the sea of pirates; then, to send 
Measures of wheat to Rome; this 'greed upon, 
To part with unhack'd edges, and bear back 
Our targes undinted. 

C^SAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS 

That 's our offer. 

POMPEY 

Know, then. 



ACT II, SCENE VI 

I came before you here a man prepar'd 
To take this offer : but Mark Antony 
Put me to some impatience: though I lose 
The praise of it by telling, you must know, 
When Caesar and your brother were at blows, 
Your mother came to Sicily and did find 
Her welcome friendly. 

ANTONY 

I have heard it, Pompey; 
And am well studied for a liberal thanks 
Which I do owe you. 

POMPEY 

Let me have your hand : 
I did not think, sir, to have met you here. 

ANTONY 

The beds i' th' east are soft; and thanks to you. 
That call'd me timelier than my purpose hither; 
For I have gain'd by 't. 

CyESAR 

Since I saw you last, 
There is a change upon you. 

POMPEY 

Well, I know not 
What counts harsh fortune casts upon my face; 
But in my bosom shall she never come, 
To make my heart her vassal. 

LEPIDUS 

Well met here. 

POMPEY 

I hope so, Lepidus. Thus we are agreed : 



62 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

I crave our composition may be written, 
And seal'd between us. 

CiESAR 

That 's the next to do. 

POMPEY 

We '11 feast each other ere we part; and let 's 
Draw lots who shall begin. 

ANTONY 

That will I, Pompey. 

POMPEY 

No, Antony, take the lot : but, first 

Or last, your fine Egyptian cookery 

Shall have the fame. I have heard that Julius Caesar 

Grew fat with feasting there. 

ANTONY 

You have heard much. 

POMPEY 

I have fair meanings, sir. 

ANTONY 

And fair words to them. 

POMPEY 

Then so much have I heard : 

And I have heard, Apollodorus carried — 

ENOBARBUS 

No more of that : he did so. . 

POMPEY 

What, I pray you ? 

ENOBARBUS 

A certain queen to Caesar in a mattress. 



ACT II, SCENE VI 63 

POMPEY 

I know thee now : how far'st thou, soldier ? 

ENOBARBUS 

Well; 
And well am like to do; for, I perceive, 
Four feasts are toward. 

POMPEY 

Let me shake thy hand ; 
I never hated thee : I have seen thee fight, 
When I have envied thy behaviour. 

ENOBARBUS 

Sir, 
I never lov'd you much; but I ha' prais'd ye. 
When you have well deserv'd ten times as much 
As I have said you did. 

POMPEY 

Enjoy thy plainness, 
It nothing ill becomes thee. 
Aboard my galley 1 invite you all : 
Will you lead, lords ? 

CESAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS 

Show us the way, sir. 

POMPEY 

Come. 

Exeunt all but Menas and Enobarbus. 
MENAS, aside. 

Thy father, Pompey, would ne'er have made this 
treaty. — You and I have known, sir. 

ENOBARBUS 

At sea, I think. 



64 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

MENAS 

We have, sir. 

ENOBARBUS 

You have done well by water. 

MENAS 

And you by land. 

ENOBARBUS 

I will praise any man that will praise me ; though it 
cannot be denied what I have done by land. 

MENAS 

Nor what I have done by water. 

ENOBARBUS 

Yes, something you can deny for your own safety : 
you have been a great thief by sea. 

MENAS 

And you by land. 

ENOBARBUS 

There I deny my land service. But give me your 
hand, Menas: if our eyes had authority, here they 
might take two thieves kissing. 

MENAS 

All men's faces are true, whatsome'er their hands are. 

ENOBARBUS 

But there is never a fair woman has a true face. 

MENAS 

No slander ; they steal hearts. 

ENOBARBUS 

We came hither to fight with you. 



ACT II, SCENE VI 65 

MENAS 

For my part, I am sorry it is turn'd to a drinking. 
Pompey doth this day laugh away his fortune. 

ENOBARBUS 

If he do, sure, he cannot weep 't back again. 

MENAS 

You 've said, sir. We look'd not for Mark Antony 
here : pray you, is he married to Cleopatra ? 

ENOBARBUS 

Caesar's sister is called Octavia. 

MENAS 

True, sir; she was the wife of Caius Marcellus. 

ENOBARBUS 

But she is now the wife of Marcus Antonius. 

MENAS 

Pray ye, sir ? 

ENOBARBUS 

'T is true. 

MENAS 

Then is Caesar and he for ever knit together. 

ENOBARBUS 

If I were bound to divine of this unity, I would not 
prophesy so. 

MENAS 

I think the policy of that purpose made more in the 
marriage than the love of the parties. 

ENOBARBUS 

I think so too. But you shall find, the band that 
seems to tie their friendship together will be the very 

Antony and Cleopatra. 9 



66 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

strangler of their amity : Octavia is of a holy, cold, and 
still conversation. 

MENAS 

Who would not have his wife so ? 

ENOBARBUS 

Not he that himself is not so ; which is Mark Antony. 
He will to his Egyptian dish again: then shall the sighs 
of Octavia blow the fire up in Caesar ; and, as I said 
before, that which is the strength of their amity shall 
prove the immediate author of their variance. Antony 
will use his affection where it is : he married but his 
occasion here. 

MENAS 

And thus it may be. Come, sir, will you aboard? 
I have a health for you. 

ENOBARBUS 

I shall take it, sir: we have us'd our throats in Egypt. 

MENAS 

Come, let 's away. 

Exeunt. 



SCENE VII 

On board Pompey's galley, off Misenum 

Music plays. 

Enter two or three SERVANTS with a banquet. 

FIRST SERVANT 

Here they '11 be, man. Some o' their plants are ill- 
rooted already ; the least wind i' th' world will blow 
them down. 



ACT II, SCENE VII 67 

SECOND SERVANT 

Lepidus is high-coloured. 

FIRST SERVANT 

They have made him drink alms-drink. 

SECOND SERVANT 

As they pinch one another by the disposition, he 
cries out « No more » ; reconciles them to his entreaty, 
and himself to the drink. 

FIRST SERVANT 

But it raises the greater war between him and his dis- 
cretion. 

SECOND SERVANT 

Why, this it is to have a name in great men's fel- 
lowship : I had as lief have a reed that will do me no 
service as a partisan I could not heave. 

FIRST SERVANT 

To be called into a huge sphere, and not to be seen 
to move in 't, are the holes where eyes should be, 
which pitifully disaster the cheeks. 

A sennet sounded. 

Enter CiESAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POMPEY, 

AGRIPPA, MECiENAS, 

ENOBARBUS, MENAS, with other captains. 

ANTONY, to Cassar. 

Thus do they, sir : they take the flow o' th' Nile 
By certain scales i' th' pyramid, they know, 
By the height, the lowness, or the mean, if dearth 
Or foison follow: the higher Nilus swells, 
The more it promises : as it ebbs, the seedsman 



68 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

Upon the slime and ooze scatters his grain, 
And shortly comes to harvest. 

LEPIDUS 

You 've strange serpents there. 

ANTONY 

Ay, Lepidus. 

LEPIDUS 

Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by 
the operation of your sun : so is your crocodile. 

ANTONY 

They are so. 

POMPEY 

Sit, — and some wine 1 A health to Lepidus ! 

LEPIDUS 

I am not so well as I should be, but I '11 ne'er out. 

ENOBARBUS 

Not till you have slept; I fear me you '11 be in till 
then. 

LEPIDUS 

Nay, certainly, I have heard the Ptolemies' pyra- 
mises are very goodly things; without contradiction, I 
have heard that. 

MENAS, aside to Pompey. 

Pompey, a word. 

POMPEY, aside to Menas. 

Say in mine ear : what is 't ? 

MENAS, aside to Pompey. 

Forsake thy seat, I do beseech thee, captain. 
And hear me speak a word. 



ACT II, SCESE VII 69 

POMPEY, aside 10 Meaas. 

Forbear me till anon. 
This wine for Lepidus I 

LEPIDUS 

What manner o' thing is your crocodile ? 

ANTONY 

It is shap'd, sir, like itself; and it is as broad as it 
hath breadth : it is just so high as it is, and moves with 
it own organs : it lives by that which nourisheth it ; and 
the elements once out of it, it transmigrates. 

LEPIDUS 

What colour is it of? 

ANTONY 

Of it own colour too. 

LEPIDUS 

*T is a strange serpent. 

ANTONY 

'T is so. And the tears of it are wet. 

CiESAR 

Will this description satisfy him ? 

ANTONY 

With the health that Pompey gives him, else he is a 
very epicure, 

POMPEY, aside to Menas. 

Go hang, sir, hang ! Tell me of that ? away ! 
Do as I bid you. Where 's this cup I call'd for ? 

MENAS, aside to Pompey. 

If for the sake of merit thou wilt hear me. 
Rise from thy stool. 



70 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

POMPEY, aside to Menas. 

I think thou Vt mad. The matter ? 

Rises, and walks aside. 
MENAS 

I have ever held my cap off to thy fortunes. 

POMPEY 

Thou hast serv'd me with much faith. What 's else to say ? 
Be jolly, lords. 

ANTONY 

These quick-sands, Lepidus, 
Keep off them, for you sink. 

MENAS 

Wilt thou be lord of all the world ? 

POMPEY 

What sav'st thou ? 

MENAS 

Wilt thou be lord of the whole world? That 's twice. 

POMPEY 

How should that be ? 

MENAS 

But entertain it, 
And, though thou think me poor, 1 am the man 
Will give thee all the world. 

POMPEY 

Hast thou drunk well .'* 

MENAS 

No, Pompey, I have kept me from the cup. 
Thou art, if thou dar'st be, the earthly Jove : 
Whate'er the ocean pales, or sky inclips, 
Is thine, if thou wilt ha 't. 



ACT II, SCENE VII 71 

POMPEY 

Show me which way. 

MENAS 

These three world-sharers, these competitors, 
Are in thy vessel : let me cut the cable; 
And, when we are put off, fall to their throats : 
All there is thine. 

POMPEY 

Ah, this thou shouldst have done. 
And not have spoke on 't ! In me 't is villany; 
In thee 't had been good service. Thou must know, 
'T is not my profit that does lead mine honour; 
Mine honour, it. Repent that e'er thy tongue 
Hath so betray'd thine act: being done unknown, 
I should have found it afterwards well done; 
But must condemn it now. Desist, and drink. 

MENAS, aside. 

For this, 

I '11 never follow thy pall'd fortunes more. 

Who seeks, and will not take when once 't is offer'd. 

Shall never find it more. 

POMPEY 

This health to Lepidus! 

ANTONY 

Bear him ashore. I '11 pledge it for him, Pompey. 

ENOBARBUS 

Here 's to thee, Menas ! 

MENAS 

Enobarbus, welcome ! 



71 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

POMPEY 

Fill till the cup be hid. 

ENOBARBUS 

There 's a strong fellow, Menas. 

Pointing to the Attendant who carries off Lepidus. 

MENAS 

Why? 

ENOBARBUS 

A' bears the third part of the world, man ; see'st not ? 

MENAS 

The third part, then, is drunk: would it were all. 
That it might go on wheels ! 

ENOBARBUS 

Drink thou; increase the reels. 

MENAS 

Come. 

POMPEY 

This is not yet an Alexandrian feast. 

ANTONY 

It ripens towards it. Strike the vessels, ho ! 
Here is to Caesar ! 

C^SAR 

I could well forbear 't. 
It 's monstrous labour, when I wash my brain, 
And it grows fouler. 

ANTONY 

Be a child o' th' time. 

CiESAR 

Possess it, I 11 make answer : 



ACT II, SCENE VII yS 

But I had rather fast from all four days 
Than drink so much in one. 

ENOBARBUS, to Antony. 

Ha, my brave emperor ! 

Shall we dance now the Egyptian Bacchanals, 

And celebrate our drink? 

POMPEY 

Let 's ha 't, good soldier. 

ANTONY 

Come, let 's all take hands, 

Till that the conquering wine hath steep'd our sense 

In soft and delicate Lethe. 

ENOBARBUS 

All take hands. 
Make battery to our ears with the loud music : 
The while I 'II place you : then the boy shall sing ; 
The holding every man shall bear as loud 
As his strong sides can volley. 

Music plays. Enobarbus places them hand in hand. 
THE SONG 

Come, thou monarch of the vine, 
Plumpy Bacchus with pink eyne ! 
In thy vats our cares be drown'd, 
With thy grapes our hairs be crown'd : 
Cup us, till the world go round, 
Cup us, till the world go round! 

CiESAR 

What would you more? Pompey, good night. Good brother. 
Let me request you off: our graver business 

Antony and Cleopatra. lo 



74 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Frowns at this levity. Gentle lords, let 's part; 
You see we have burnt our cheeks : strong Enobarbus 
Is weaker than the wine ; and mine own tongue 
Splits what it speaks: the wild disguise hath almost 
Antick'dusall. What needs more words? Goodnight. 
Good Antony, your hand. 

POMPEY 

I '11 try you on the shore. 

ANTONY 

And shall, sir : give 's your hand. 

POMPEY 

O Antony, 
You have my father's house, — But, what ? we are friends. 
Come, down into the boat. 

ENOBARBUS 

Take heed you fall not. 

Exeunt all but Enobarbus and Menas. 

Menas, I '11 not on shore. 

MENAS 

No, to my cabin. 
These drums 1 these trumpets, flutes ! what ! 
Let Neptune hear we bid a loud farewell 
To these great fellows : sound and be hang'd, sound out ! 

Sound a flourish, with drums. 
ENOBARBUS 

Ho ! says a'. There 's my cap. 

MENAS 

Ho! Noble captain, come. 

Exeunt. 




; « l^^l^P 




ACT III. SCENE XI 




ACT III 



• '^1^- 



SCENE I 



A PLAIN IN Syria 



Enter VENTIDIUS as it were in triumph, with SILIUS, and 

other Romans, Officers and Soldiers; the dead 

body of Pacorus borne before him. 



VENTIDIUS 

Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck; and now 
Pleas'd fortune does of Marcus Crassus' death 
Make me revenger. Bear the King's son's body 
Before our army. Thy Pacorus, Orodes, 
Pays this for Marcus Crassus. 



78 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

SILIUS 

Noble Ventidius, 
Whilst yet with Parthian blood thy sword is warm, 
The fugitive Parthians follow; spur through Media, 
Mesopotamia, and the shelters whither 
The routed fly; so thy grand captain Antony 
Shall set thee on triumphant chariots and 
Put garlands on thy head. 

VENTIDIUS 

O Silius, Silius, 
I have done enough; a lower place, note well. 
May make too great an act : for learn this, Silius; 
Better to leave undone, than by our deed 
Acquire too high a fame when him we serve 's away. 
Caesar and Antony have ever won 
More in their officer than person : Sossius, 
One of my place in Syria, his lieutenant. 
For quick accumulation of renown, 
Which he achiev'd by th' minute, lost his favour. 
Who does i' th' wars more than his captain can 
Becomes his captain's captain : and ambition. 
The soldier's virtue, rather makes choice of loss. 
Than gain which darkens him. 
I could do more to do Antonius good, 
But't would offend him; and in his offence 
Should my performance perish. 

SILIUS 

Thou hast, Ventidius, that 
Without the which a soldier, and his sword. 
Grants scarce distinction. Thou wilt write to Antony? 



ACT III, SCENE I 79 

VENTIDIUS 

I '11 humbly signify what in his name, 
That magical word of war, we have effected ; 
How, with his banners and his well-paid ranks, 
The ne'er-yet-beaten horse of Parthia 
We have jaded out o' th' field. 

SILIUS 

Where is he now? 

VENTIDIUS 

He purposeth to Athens : whither, with what haste 
The weight we must convey with 's will permit, 
We shall appear before him. On, there; pass along! 

Exeunt. 



SCENE II 

Rome. — An antechamber in Cesar's house 
Enter AGRIPPA at one door, ENOBARBUS at another. 

AGRIPPA 

What, are the brothers parted ? 

ENOBARBUS 

They have dispatch'd with Pompey, he is gone ; 
The other three are sealing. Octavia weeps 
To part from Rome; Caesar is sad; and Lepidus, 
Since Pompey's feast, as Menas says, is troubled 
With the green sickness. 

AGRIPPA 

'T is a noble Lepidus. 



8o ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

ENOBARBUS 

A very fine one : O, how he loves Caesar! 

AGRIPPA 

Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony! 

ENOBARBUS 

Caesar? Why, he 's the Jupiter of men. 

AGRIPPA 

What 's Antony? The god of Jupiter. 

ENOBARBUS 

Spake you of Caesar? How ! the nonpareil ! 

AGRIPPA 

O Antony! O thou Arabian bird! 

ENOBARBUS 

Would you praise Caesar, say « Caesar : » go no further. 

AGRIPPA 

Indeed, he plied them both with excellent praises. 

ENOBARBUS 

But he loves Caesar best; yet he loves Antony : 

Ho! hearts, tongues, figures, scribes, bards, poets, cannot 

Think, speak, cast, write, sing, number, ho ! 

His love to Antony. But as for Caesar, 

Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder. 

AGRIPPA 

Both he loves. 

ENOBARBUS 

They are his shards, and he their beetle. (Trumpets within.) So ; 
This is to horse. Adieu, noble Agrippa. 

AGRIPPA 

Good fortune, worthy soldier; and farewell. 



ACT III, SCENE 11 8i 

Enter C^SAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS and OCTAVIA. 

ANTONY 

No further, sir. 

C^SAR 

You take from me a great part of myself; 

Use me well in 't. Sister, prove such a wife 

As my thoughts make thee, and as my farthest band 

Shall pass on thy approof. Most noble Antony, 

Let not the piece of virtue, which is set 

Betwixt us as the cement of our love, 

To keep it builded, be the ram to batter 

The fortress of it; for better might we 

Have lov'd without this mean, if on both parts 

This be not cherish'd. 

ANTONY 

Make me not offended 
In your distrust. 

CyESAR 

I have said. 

ANTONY 

You shall not find. 
Though you be therein curious, the least cause 
For what you seem to fear: so, the gods keep you, 
And make the hearts of Romans serve your ends! 
We will here part. 

CyESAR 

Farewell, my dearest sister, fare thee well : 
The elements be kind to thee, and make 
Thy spirits all of comfort! fare thee well. 

Antony and Cleopatra. i i 



82 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

OCTAVIA 

My noble brother ! 

ANTONY 

The April 's in her eyes : it is love's spring, 

And these the showers to bring it on. Be cheerful. 

OCTAVIA 

Sir, look well to my husband's house ; and — 

CiESAR 

What, 
Octavia? 

OCTAVIA 

I '11 tell you in your ear. 

ANTONY 

Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can 

Her heart inform her tongue, — the swan's down-feather, 

That stands upon the swell at full of tide, 

And neither way inclines. 

ENOBARBUS, aside to Agrippa. 

Will Caesar weep ? 

AGRIPPA, aside to Enobarbus. 

He has a cloud in 's face. 

ENOBARBUS, aside to Agrippa. 

He were the worse for that, were he a horse ; 
So is he, being a man. 

AGRIPPA, aside to Enobarbus. 

Why, Enobarbus, 

When Antony found Julius Caesar dead, 
He cried almost to roaring; and he wept 
When at Philippi he found Brutus slain. 



ACT III, SCENE II ' 83 

ENOBARBUS, aside to Agrippa. 

That year, indeed, he was troubled with a rheum ; 
What willingly he did confound he wail'd, 
Believe 't, till I wept too. 

CvESAR 

No, sweet Octavia, 
You shall hear from me still ; the time shall not 
Out-go my thinking on you. 

ANTONY 

Come, sir, come; 
I'll wrestle with you in my strength of love : 
Look, here I have you; thus I let you go. 
And give you to the gods. 

CiESAR 

Adieu ; be happy ! 

LEPIDUS 

Let all the number of the stars give light 
To thy fair way ! 

CiESAR 

Farewell, farewell! 

Kisses Octavia. 
ANTONY 

Farewell ! 

Trumpets sound. Exeunt. 



84 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

SCENE 111 

Alexandria. — Cleopatra's palace 
Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS and ALEXAS. 

CLEOPATRA 

Where is the fellow? 

ALEXAS 

Half afeard to come. 

CLEOPATRA 

Go to, go to. 

Enter the MESSENGER as before. 
Come hither, sir. 

ALEXAS 

Good majesty, 
Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you 
But when you are well pleas'd. 

CLEOPATRA 

That Herod's head 
I '11 have : but how, when Antony is gone 
Through whom I might command it ? Come thou near, 

MESSENGER 

Most gracious majesty, — 

CLEOPATRA 

Didst thou behold Octavia? 

MESSENGER 

Ay, dread queen. 



ACT III, SCENE III 85 

CLEOPATRA 

Where ? i 

MESSENGER 

Madam, in Rome ; 

1 look'd her in the face, and saw her led 

Between her brother and Mark Antony. 

CLEOPATRA 

Is she as tall as me? 

MESSENGER 

She is not, madam. 

CLEOPATRA 

Didst hear her speak? is she shrill-tongu'd or low? 

MESSENGER 

Madam, I heard her speak ; she is low-voic'd. 

CLEOPATRA 

That 's not so good. He cannot like her long ? 

CHARMIAN 

Like her! O Isisl 't is impossible. 

CLEOPATRA 

I think so, Charmian : dull of tongue, and dwarfish ! 
What majesty is in her gait? Remember, 
If e'er thou look'dst on majesty. 

MESSENGER 

She creeps : 
Her motion and her station are as one ; 
She shows a body rather than a life, 
A statue than a breather. 

CLEOPATRA 

Is this certain ? 



86 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

MESSENGER 

Or I have no observance. 

CHARMIAN 

Three in Egypt 
Cannot make better note. 

CLEOPATRA 

He 's very knowing ; 
1 do perceive 't : there 's nothing in her yet : 
The fellow has good judgement. 

CHARMIAN 

Excellent. 

CLEOPATRA 

Guess at her years, I prithee. 

MESSENGER 

Madam, 
She was a widow, — 

CLEOPATRA 

Widow! Charmian, hark. 

MESSENGER 

And I do think she 's thirty. 

CLEOPATRA 

Bear'-st thou her face in mind ? is 't long or round ? 

MESSENGER 

Round even to faultiness. 

CLEOPATRA 

For the most part, too, they are foolish that are so. 
Her hair, what colour? 

MESSENGER 

Brown, madam : and her forehead 
As low as she would wish it. 



ACT III, SCENE III 87 

CLEOPATRA 

There 's gold for thee. 
Thou must not take my former sharpness ill : 
I will employ thee back again; I find thee 
Most fit for business : go make thee ready; 
Our letters are prepared. 

Exit Messenger. 
CHARMIAN 

A proper man. 

CLEOPATRA 

Indeed, he is so : I repent me much 

That so I harried him. Why, methinks, by him, 

This creature 's no such thing. 

CHARMIAN 

Nothing, madam. 

CLEOPATRA 

The man hath seen some majesty, and should know. 

CHARMIAN 

Hath he seen majesty ? Isis else defend. 
And serving you so long! 

CLEOPATRA 

I have one thing more to ask him yet, good Charmian ; 
But 't is no matter; thou shalt bring him to me 
Where I will write. All may be well enough. 

CHARMIAN 

I warrant you, madam. 

Exeunt. 



88 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

SCENE IV- 
Athens. — A room in Antony's house 
Enter ANTONY and OCTAVIA. 

ANTONY 

Nay, nay, Octavia, not only that, — 

That were excusable, that, and thousands more 

Of semblable import, — but he hath wag'd 

New wars 'gainst Pompey; made his will, and read it 

To public ear : 

Spoke scantly of me : when perforce he could not 

But pay me terms of honour, cold and sickly 

He vented them ; most narrow measure lent me : 

When the best hint was given him, he not took 't, 

Or did it from his teeth. 

OCTAVIA 

O my good lord. 

Believe not all; or, if you must believe. 

Stomach not all. A more unhappy lady. 

If this division chance, ne'er stood between. 

Praying for both parts : 

The good gods will mock me presently. 

When I shall pray : « O, bless my lord and husband! » 

Undo that prayer, by crying out as loud : 

« O, bless my brother! w Husband win, win brother, 

Prays, and destroys the prayer; no midway 

'Twixt these extremes at all. 



ACT III, SCENE IV 89 

ANTONY 

Gentle Octavia, 
Let your best love draw to that point, which seeks 
Best to preserve it : if I lose mine honour, 
I lose myself : better I were not yours 
Than yours so branchless. But, as you requested. 
Yourself shall go between 's : the mean time, lady, 
I '11 raise the preparation of a war 
Shall stain your brother: make your soonest haste; 
So your desires are yours. 

OCTAVIA 

Thanks to my lord. 
The Jove of power make me most weak, most weak, 
Your reconciler ! Wars 'twixt you twain would be 
As if the world should cleave, and that slain men 
Should solder up the rift. 

ANTONY 

When it appears to you where this begins, 

Turn your displeasure that way; for our faults 

Can never be so equal, that your love 

Can equally move with them. Provide your going; 

Choose your own company, and command what cost 

Your heart has mind to. 

Exeunt. 



Antony and Cleopatra. 12 



90 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

SCENE V 

The same. — Another room 

Enter ENOBARBUS and EROS, nueting. 

ENOBARBUS 

How now, friend Eros ! 

EROS 

There 's strange news come, sir 

ENOBARBUS 

What, man ? 

EROS 

Cgesar and Lepidus have made wars upon Pompey. 

ENOBARBUS 

This is old : what is the success? 

EROS 

Caesar, having made use of him in the wars 'gainst 
Pompey, presently denied him rivality; would not let 
him partake in the glory of the action : and not resting 
here, accuses him of letters he had formerly wrote to 
Pompey; upon his own appeal, seizes him : so the poor 
third is up, till death enlarge his confine. 

ENOBARBUS 

Then, world, thou hast a pair of chaps, no more ; 
And throw between them all the food thou hast, 
They '11 grind the one the other. Where 's Antony? 

EROS 

He 's walking in the garden — thus; and spurns 

The rush that lies before him; cries, « Fool Lepidus 1 » 



ACT III, SCENE V 

And threats the throat of that his officer 
That murder'd Pompey. 

ENOBARBUS 

Our great navy 's rigg'd. 

EROS 

For Italy and Caesar. More, Domitius; 
My lord desires you presently : my news 
I might have told hereafter. 

ENOBARBUS 

'T will be naught: 
But let it be. Bring me to Antony. 

/ EROS 

Come, sir. 

Exeunt. 

SCENE VI 

Rome. — Cesar's house 

Enter Ci£SAR, AGRIPPA and MEC^NAS. 

CiESAR 

Contemning Rome, he has done all this, and more, 

In Alexandria : here 's the manner of 't : 

r th' market-place, on a tribunal silver'd, 

Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold 

Were publicly enthron'd : at the feet sat 

C^sarion, whom they call my father's son, 

And all the unlawful issue that their lust 

Since then hath made between them. Unto her 

He gave the stablishment of Egypt; made her 



92 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia, 
Absolute queen. 

MECiENAS 

This in the public eye? 

CESAR 

r th' common show-place, where they exercise. 

His sons he there proclaimed the kings of kings : 

Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia, 

He gave to Alexander ; to Ptolemy he assign'd 

Syria, Cilicia and Phoenicia : she 

In the habiliments of the goddess Isis 

That day appear'd; and oft before gave audience, 

As't is reported, so. 

MECyENAS 

Let Rome be thus 
Inform'd. 

AGRIPPA 

Who, queasy with his insolence 
Already, will their good thoughts call from him. 

CiESAR 

The people know it ; and have now received 
His accusations. 

AGRIPPA 

Who does he accuse? 

CyESAR 

Caesar : and that, having in Sicily 
Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated him 
His part o' th' isle : then does he say, he lent me 
Some shipping unrestor'd : lastly, he frets 
That Lepidus of the triumvirate 



ACT III, SCENE VI 98 

Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain 
All his revenue. 

AGRIPPA 

Sir, this should be answer'd. 

CyESAR 

'Tis done already, and the messenger gone. 

I have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel; 

That he his high authority abus'd. 

And did deserve his change : for what I have conquer'd, 

I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia, 

And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, 1 

Demand the like. 

MECiENAS 

He '11 never yield to that. 

C^SAR 

Nor must not then be yielded to in this. 



Enter OCT AVI A with her trai 



in. 



OCTAVIA 

Hail, Caesar, and my lord ! hail, most dear Caesar! 

CiESAR 

That ever I should call thee castaway! 

OCTAVIA 

You have not callM me so, nor have you cause. 

C;ESAR 

Why have you stol'n upon us thus? You come not 
Like Caesar's sister : the wife of Antony 
Should have an army for an usher, and 
The neighs of horse to tell of her approach 
Long ere she did appear; the trees by the way 



94 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Should have borne men; and expectation fainted, 
Longing for what it had not; nay, the dust 
Should have ascended to the roof of heaven, 
Rais'd by your populous troops : but you are come 
A market-maid to Rome ; and have prevented 
The ostentation of our love, which, left unshown, 
Is often left unloved : we should have met you 
By sea and land; supplying every stage 
With an augmented greeting. 

OCTAVIA 

Good my lord, 
To come thus was I not constrained, but did 
On my free will. My lord, Mark Antony, 
Hearing that you prepared for war, acquainted 
My grieved ear withal; whereon, I begg'd 
His pardon for return. 

CtESAR 

Which soon he granted. 
Being an obstruct 'tween his lust and him. 

OCTAVIA 

Do not say so, my lord. 

C^SAR 

I have eyes upon him, 
And his affairs come to me on the wind. 
Where is he now ? 

OCTAVIA 

My lord, in Athens. 

C^SAR 

No, my most wronged sister; Cleopatra 

Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire 



ACT III, SCENE VI 95 

Up to a whore; who now are levying 

The kings o' th' earth for war : he hath assembled 

Bocchus, the King of Libya; Archelaus, 

Of Cappadocia; Philadelphos, King 

Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian King, Adallas ; 

King Malchus of Arabia; King of Pont; 

Herodof Jewry; Mithridates, King 

Of Comagene; Polemon and Amyntas, 

The Kings of Mede and Lycaonia, 

With a more larger list of sceptres, 

OCTAVIA 

Ay me, most wretched, 
That have my heart parted betwixt two friends 
That do afflict each other ! 

CMSAK 

Welcome hither : 
Your letters did withhold our breaking forth ; 
Till we perceived, both how you were wrong led. 
And we in negligent danger. Cheer your heart : 
Be you not troubled with the time, which drives 
O'er your content these strong necessities ; 
But let determined things to destiny 
Hold unbewaiFd their way. Welcome to Rome; 
Nothing more dear to me. You are abus'd 
Beyond the mark of thought : and the high gods, 
To do you justice, make them ministers 
Of us and those that love you. Best of comfort; 
And ever welcome to us. 

AGRIPPA 

Welcome, lady. 



96 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

MECiENAS 

Welcome, dear madam. 

Each heart in Rome does love and pity you : 

Only the adulterous Antony, most large 

In his abominations, turns you off; 

And gives his potent regiment to a trull, 

That noises it against us. 

OCTAVIA 

Is it so, sir.? 

CAESAR 

Most certain. Sister, welcome : pray you. 
Be ever known to patience : my dear'st sister ! 

Exeunt. 



SCENE VII 

Near Actium. — Antony's camp 
Enter CLEOPATRA and ENOBARBUS. 

CLEOPATRA 

I will be even with thee, doubt it not. 

ENOBARBUS 

But why, why, why ? 

CLEOPATRA 

Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars, 
And say'st it is not fit. 

ENOBARBUS 

Well, is it, is it.? 



ACT III, SCENE VII 97 

CLEOPATRA 

If not denounc'd against us, why should not we 
Be there in person ? 

ENOBARBUS, aside 

Well, I could reply : 
If we should serve with horse and mares together. 
The horse were merely lost ; the mares would bear 
A soldier and his horse. 

CLEOPATRA 

What is 't you say ? 

ENOBARBUS 

Your presence needs must puzzle Antony ; 

Take from his heart, take from his brain, from 's time. 

What should not then be spar'd. He is already 

Traduc'd for levity; and 't is said in Rome 

That Photinus an eunuch and your maids 

Manage this war. 

CLEOPATRA 

Sink Rome, and their tongues rot 
That speak against us ! A charge we bear i' th' war. 
And, as the president of my kingdom, will 
Appear there for a man. Speak not against it ; 
I will not stay behind. 

ENOBARBUS 

Nay, I have done. 
Here comes the Emperor. 

Enter ANTONY and CANIDIUS. 
ANTONY 

Is it not strange, Canidius, 

Antony and Cleopatra. i 3 



98 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

That from Tarentum and Brundusium 

He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea, 

And take in Toryne ? You have heard on 't, sweet? 

CLEOPATRA 

Celerity is never more admirM 
Than by the negligent. 

ANTONY 

A good rebuke, 
Which might have well becom'd the best of men, 
To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we 
¥/ill fight with him by sea. 

CLEOPATRA 

By sea ! what else ? 

CANIDIUS 

Why will rny lord do so ? 

ANTONY 

For that he dares us to 't. 

ENOBARBUS 

So hath my lord dar'd him to single fight. 

CANIDIUS 

Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia, 
Where Caesar fought with Pompey; but these offers, 
Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off; 
And so should you. 

ENOBARBUS 

Your ships are not well mannM ; 
Your mariners are muleters, reapers, people 
Ingross'd by swift impress; in Caesar's fleet 
Are those that often have 'gainst Pompey fought : 
Their ships are yare ; yours, heavy : no disgrace 



ACT III, SCENE VII 99 

Shall fall you for refusing him at sea, 
Being prepar'd for land. 

ANTONY 

By sea, by sea. 

ENOBARBUS 

Most worthy sir, you therein throw away 
The absolute soldiership you have by land ; 
Distract your army, which doth most consist 
Of war-mark'd footmen ; leave unexecuted 
Your own renowned knowledge ; quite forego 
The way which promises assurance; and 
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard, 
From firm security. 

ANTONY 

I'll fight at sea, 

CLEOPATRA 

I have sixty sails, Cgesar none better. 

ANTONY 

Our overplus of shipping will we burn ; 

And, with the rest full-mann'd,from thehead of Actium 

Beat the approaching Caesar. But if we fail, 

We then can do 't at land. 

Enter a MESSENGER. 

Thy business ? 

MESSENGER 

The news is true, my lord; he is descri'd ; 
Caesar has taken Toryne. 

ANTONY 

Can he be there in person ? 't is impossible ; 



loo ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

Strange that his power should be. Canidius, 
Our nineteen legions thou shalthold by land, 
And our twelve thousand horse. We '11 to our ship : 
Away, my Thetis ! 

Enter a SOLDIER. 
How now, worthy soldier ! 

SOLDIER 

O noble emperor, do not fight by sea ; 

Trust not to rotten planks : do you misdoubt 

This sword and these my wounds? Let the Egyptians 

And the Phoenicians go a-ducking : we 

Have used to conquer, standing on the earth, 

And fighting foot to foot. 

ANTONY 

Well, well : away ! 

Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra and Enobarbus. 
SOLDIER 

By Hercules, I think I am i' th' right. 

CANIDIUS 

Soldier, thou art; but his whole action grows 
Not in the power on 't : so our leader 's led. 
And we are women's men. 

SOLDIER 

You keep by land 
The legions and the horse whole, do you not ? 

CANIDIUS 

Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius, 
Publicola, and Caelius, are for sea : 
But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar's 



ACT III, SCENE VII loi 

Carries beyond belief. 

SOLDIER 

While he was yet in Rome, 
His power went out in such distractions as 
Beguil'd all spies. 

CANIDIUS 

Who 's his lieutenant, hear you? 

SOLDIER 

They say, one Taurus. 

CANIDIUS 

Well I know the man. 
Enter a MESSENGER. 
MESSENGER 

The Emperor calls Canidius. 

CANIDIUS 

With news the time 's with labour, and throes forth, 
Each minute, some. 

Exeunt. 

SCENE VIII 

A PLAIN NEAR ACTIUM 

Enter C.-ESAR, and TAURUS, with his army, marching. 

CiESAR 

Taurus ! 

TAURUS 

My lord ? 

CiESAR 

Strike not by land; keep whole : provoke not battle, 



I02 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

Till we have done at sea. Do not exceed 
The prescript of this scroll : our fortune lies 
Upon this jump. 



SCENE IX 

Another part of the plain 

Enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS. 

ANTONY 

Set we our squadrons on yond side o' th' hill, 
In eye of Cesar's battle; from which place 
We may the number of the ships behold, 
And so proceed accordingly. 



Exeunt. 



Exeunt. 



SCENE X 

Another part of the plain 

CANIDIUS marcheth with his land army one way over the 
stage; and TAURUS, the lieutenant of CAESAR, the other 
way. After their going in, is heard the noise of a sea-fight. 

Alarum. — Enter ENOBARBUS. 
ENOBARBUS 

Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer: 
The Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral. 



ACT III, SCENE X io3 

With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder : 
To see 't mine eyes are blasted. 

Enter SCARUS. 
SCARUS 

Gods and goddesses, 
All the whole synod of them ! 

ENOBARBUS 

What 's thy passion ? 

SCARUS 

The greater cantle of the world is lost 
With very ignorance; we have kissM away 
Kingdoms and provinces. 

ENOBARBUS 

How appears the fight? 

SCARUS 

On our side like the token'd pestilence, 

Where death is sure. Yon ribaldred nag of Egypt, — 

Whom leprosy overtake ! — i' th' midst o' th' fight, 

When vantage like a pair of twins appear'd. 

Both as the same, or rather ours the elder. 

The breese upon her, like a cow in June, 

Hoists sails and flies. 

ENOBARBUS 

That I beheld: 

Mine eyes did sicken at the sight, and could not 

Endure a further view 

SCARUS 

She once being loofd, 
The noble ruin of her magic, Antony, 



104 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Claps on his sea-wing, and, like a doting mallard, 
Leaving the fight in height, flies after her : 
I never saw an action of such shame; 
Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before 
Did violate so itself. 

ENOBARBUS 

Alack, alack ! 

Enter CANIDIUS. 
CANIDIUS 

Our fortune on the sea is out of breath, 
And sinks most lamentably. Had our general 
Been what he knew himself, it had gone well : 
O, he has given example for our flight. 
Most grossly, by his own ! 

ENOBARBUS 

Ay, are you thereabouts ? 
Why, then, good night indeed. 

CANIDIUS 

Toward Peloponnesus are they fled. 

SCARUS 

'Tis easy to't; and there I will attend 
What further comes. 

CANIDIUS 

To Caesar will I render 
My legions and my horse : six kings already 
Show me the way of yielding. 

ENOBARBUS 

I '11 yet follow 



^ ACT III, SCENE X io5 

The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason 
Sits in the wind against me. 

Exeunt. 



SCENE XI 

Alexandria. — Cleopatra's palace 

En(er ANTONY with ATTENDANTS. 

ANTONY 

Hark! the land bids me tread no more upon 't; 
It is asham'd to bear me ! Friends, come hither : 
1 am so lated in the world, that I 
Have lost my way for ever : I have a ship 
Laden with gold; take that, divide it; fly, 
And make your peace with Caesar. 

ATTENDANTS 

Fly! not we. 

ANTONY 

1 have fled myself; and have instructed cowards 

To run and show their shoulders. Friends, be gone, 

I have myself resolv'd upon a course 

Which has no need of you ; be gone : 

My treasure 's in the harbour, take it. O, 

1 follow'd that I blush to look upon : 

My very hairs do mutiny; for the white 

Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them 

For fear and doting. Friends, be gone : you shall 

Have letters from me to some friends that will 

Antony and Cleopatra. 14 



io6 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Sweep your way for you. Pray you, look not sad, 
Nor make replies of loathness : take the hint 
Which my despair proclaims ; let that be left 
Which leaves itself : to the sea-side straightway : 
I will possess you of that ship and treasure. 
Leave me, I pray, a little : pray you now : 
Nay, do so; for, indeed, I have lost command. 
Therefore I pray you : I '11 see you by and by. 

Sits down. 

Enter CLEOPATRA, led by CHARMIAN and IRAS, 
EROS following. 

EROS 

Nay, gentle madam, to him, comfort him. 

IRAS 

Do, most dear queen. 

CHARMIAN 

Do ! why : what else ? 

CLEOPATRA 

Let me sit down. O Juno ! 

ANTONY 

No, no, no, no, no. 

EROS 

See you here, sir ? 

ANTONY 

O fie, fie, fie ! 

CHARMIAN 

Madam ! 

IRAS 

Madam, O good empress ! 



ACT III, SCENE XI 107 

EROS 

Sir, sir, — 

ANTONY 

Yes, my lord, yes; he at Philippi kept 

His sword e'en like a dancer; while I struck 

The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and 't was I 

That the mad Brutus ended : he alone 

Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had 

In the brave squares of war : yet now — No matter. 

CLEOPATRA 

Ah, stand by. 

EROS 

The Queen, my lord, the Queen. 

IRAS 

Go to him, madam, speak to him : 
He is unqualitied with very shame. 

CLEOPATRA 

Well then, sustain me : O ! 

EROS 

Most noble sir, arise; the Queen approaches : 
Her head 's declined, and death will seize her, but 
Your comfort makes the rescue. 

ANTONY 

I have offended reputation, 
A most unnoble swerving. 

EROS 

Sir, the Queen. 

ANTONY 

O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt ? See, 
How I convey my shame out of thine eyes 



io8 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

By looking back what I have left behind 
'Stroy'd in dishonour. 

CLEOPATRA 

^ O my lord, my lord, 
Forgive my fearful sails ! I little thought 
You v/ould have followed. 

ANTONY 

Egypt, thou knew'st too well 
My heart was to thy rudder ti'd by th' strings, 
And thou shouldst tow me after : o'er my spirit 
Thy full supremacy thou knew'st, and that 
Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods 
Command me. 

CLEOPATRA 

O, my pardon ! 

ANTONY 

Now I must 
To the young man send humble treaties, dodge 
And palter in the shifts of lowness; who 
With half the bulk o' th' world play'd as I pleas'd, 
Making and marring fortunes. You did know 
How much you were my conqueror; and that 
My sword, made weak by my affection, would 
Obey it on all cause, 

CLEOPATRA 

Pardon, pardon ! 

ANTONY 

Fall not a tear, I say; one of them rates 

All that is won and lost : give me a kiss; 

Even this repays me. We sent our schoolmaster; 



ACT III, SCENE XI 109 

Is he come back ? Love, I am full of lead. 

Some wine, within there, and our viands ! Fortune knows 

We scorn her most when most she offers blows. 

Exeunt. 



SCENE XII 

Egypt. — Caesar's camp 
Enter CESAR, DOLABELLA, THYREUS, with others. 

CJESAK 

Let him appear that 's come from Antony. 
Know you him ? 

DOLABELLA 

Cagsar, 't is his schoolmaster : 
An argument that he is pluck'd, when hither 
He sends so poor a pinion of his wing. 
Which had superfluous kings for messengers 
Not many moons gone by. 

Enter EUPHRONIUS, ambassador from ANTONY. 

CiESAR 

Approach, and speak. 

EUPHRONIUS 

Such as 1 am, I come from Antony : 
I was of late as petty to his ends 
As is the morn-dew on the myrtle-leaf 
To his grand sea. 



no ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

C^SAR 

Be 't so : declare thine office. 

EUPHRONIUS 

Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and 
Requires to live in Egypt : which not granted, 
He lessens his requests; and to thee sues 
To let him breathe between the heavens and earth, 
A private man in Athens : this for him. 
Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness ; 
Submits her to thy might; and of thee craves 
The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs, 
Now hazarded to thy grace. 

CiESAR 

For Antony, 
I have no ears to his request. The Queen 
Of audience nor desire shall fail, so she 
From Egypt drive her all-disgraced friend, 
Or take his life there : this if she perform, 
She shall not sue unheard. So to them both. 

EUPHRONIUS 

Fortune pursue thee ! 

CtESAR 

Bring him through the bands. 

Exit Euphronius. 
(To Thyreus.) 

To try thy eloquence, now 't is time : dispatch; 

From Antony win Cleopatra : promise, 

And in our name, what she requires; add more. 

From thine invention, offers : women are not 

In their best fortunes strong; but want will perjure 



/ 



ACT III, SCENE Xll m 

The ne'er-touch'd vestal : try thy cunning, Thyreus; 
Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we 
Will answer as a law. 

THYREUS 

Caesar, I go. 

CyESAR 

Observe how Antony becomes his flaw. 
And what thou think'st his very action speaks 
In every power that moves. 

THYREUS 

Caesar, I shall. 

Exeunt. 



SCENE XIII 

Alexandria.' — Cleopatra's palace 

Enter CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN 
and IRAS. 

CLEOPATRA 

What shall we do, Enobarbus? 

ENOBARBUS 

Think, and die. 

CLEOPATRA 

Is Antony or we in fault for this ? 

ENOBARBUS 

Antony only, that would make his will 
Lord of his reason. What though you fled 
From that great face of war, whose several ranges 



112 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

Frighted each other ? why should he follow ? 
The itch of his affection should not then 
Have nick'd his captainship; at such a point, 
When half to half the world oppos'd, he being 
The mered question : 't was a shame no less 
Than was his loss, to course your flying flags, 
And leave his navy gazing. 

CLEOPATRA 

Prithee, peace. 

Enter ANTONY with EUPHRONIUS, the Ambassador. 

ANTONY 

Is that his answer.? 

EUPHRONIUS 

Ay, my lord. 

ANTONY 

The Queen shall then have courtesy, so she 
Will yield us up. 

EUPHRONIUS 

He says so. 

ANTONY 

Let her know 't. 
To the boy Caesar send this grizzled head, 
And he will fill thy wishes to the brim 
With principalities. 

CLEOPATRA 

That head, my lord ? 

ANTONY 

To him again : tell him he wears the rose 



ACT III, SCENE XIII ii3 

Of youth upon him; from which the world should note 

Something particular: his coin, 'ships, legions, 

May be a coward's; whose ministers would prevail 

Under the service of a child as soon 

As i' th' command of Caesar : I dare him therefore 

To lay his gay comparisons apart, 

And answer me declin'd, sword against sword, 

Ourselves alone. I '11 write it: follow me. 

Exeunt Antony and Euphronius. 
ENOBARBUS, aside. 

Yes, like enough, high-battled Caesar will 
Unstate his happiness, and be stag'd to th' show, 
Against a sworder I I see men's judgements are 
A parcel of their fortunes; and things outward 
Do draw the inward quality after them. 
To suffer all alike. That he should dream. 
Knowing all measures, the full Caesar will 
Answer his emptiness ! Caesar, thou hast subdu'd 
His judgement too. 

Enter an ATTENDANT. 
ATTENDANT 

A messenger from Caesar. 

CLEOPATRA 

What, no more ceremony ? See, my women ! 
Against the blown rose may they stop their nose 
That kneel'd unto the buds. Admit him, sir. 

Exit Attendant, 
ENOBARBUS, aside. 

Mine honesty and I begin to square. 

Antony and Cleopatra. i5 



114 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

The loyalty well held to fools does make 
Our faith mere folly : yet he that can endure 
To follow with allegiance a fall'n lord 
Does conquer him that did his master conquer, 
And earns a place i' th' story. 

Enter THYREUS. 

CLEOPATRA 

Cesar's will ? 

THYREUS 

Hear it apart. 

CLEOPATRA 

None but friends : say boldly 

THYREUS 

So, haply, are they friends to Antony. 

ENOBARBUS 

He needs as many, sir, as Caesar has; 
Or needs not us. If Caesar please, our master 
Will leap to be his friend : for us, you know 
Whose he is we are, and that is, Caesar's. 

THYREUS 

So. 

Thus then, thou most renown'd : Caesar entreats, 
Not to consider in what case thou stand'st, 
Further than he is C^sar. 

CLEOPATRA 

Go on : right royal. 

THYREUS 

He knows that you embrace not Antony 



ACT III, SCENE Xlll ii5 

As you did love, but as you fear'd him. 

CLEOPATRA 

O! 
THYREUS 

The scars upon your honour, therefore, he 
Does pity, as constrained blemishes. 
Not as deserv'd. 

CLEOPATRA 

He is a god, and knows 
What is most right : mine honour was not yielded, 
But conquer'd merely. 

ENOBARBUS, aside. 

To be sure of that, 
I will ask Antony. Sir, sir, thou art so leaky, 
That we must leave thee to thy sinking, for 
Thy dearest quit thee. 

Exit. 
THYREUS 

Shall I say to Caesar 
What you require of him ? for he partly begs 
To be desir'd to give. It much would please him, 
That of his fortunes you should make a staff 
To lean upon : but it would warm his spirits. 
To hear from me you had left Antony, 
And put yourself under his shroud. 
The universal landlord. 

CLEOPATRA 

What 's your name? 

THYREUS 

My name is Thyreus. 



I 1 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 



CLEOPATRA 

Most kind messenger, 
Say to great Caesar this : in deputation 
I kiss his conquering hand : tell him, 1 am prompt 
To lay my crown at 's feet, and there to kneel : 
Tell him, from his all-obeying breath I hear 
The doom of Egypt. 

THYREUS 

'T is your noblest course. 
Wisdom and fortune combating together, 
If that the former dare but what it can. 
No chance may shake it. Give me grace to lay 
My duty on your hand. 

CLEOPATRA 

Your Caesar's father oft. 
When he hath mus'd of taking kingdoms in, 
Bestow'd his lips on that unworthy place. 
As it rain'd kisses. 

Ke-enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS. 
ANTONY 

Favours, by Jove that thunders ! 
What art thou, fellow? 

THYREUS 

One that but performs 
The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiest 
To have command obey'd. 

ENOBARBUS, aside. 

You will be whipp'd. 



ACT III, SCENE Kill 117 

ANTONY 

Approach there! Ah, you kite! Now, gods and devils! 
Authority melts from me: of late, when I cried « Ho! » 
Like boys unto a muss, kings would start forth, 
And cry « Your will? » Have you no ears ? I am 
Antony yet. 

Enter ATTENDANTS. 
Take hence this Jack, and whip him. 

ENOBARBUS, aside. 

'T is better playing with a lion's whelp 
Than with an old one dying. 

ANTONY 

Moon and stars ! 
Whip him. Were 't twenty of the greatest tributaries 
That do acknowledge Caesar, should I find them 
So saucy with the hand of she here, — what 's her name. 
Since she was Cleopatra? Whip him, fellows, 
Till, like a boy, you see him cringe his face. 
And whine aloud for mercy : take him hence. 

THYREUS 

Mark Antony ! 

ANTONY 

Tug him away : being whipp'd, 
Bring him again : this Jack of Cesar's shall 
Bear us an errand to him. 

Exeunt Attendants with Thyreus. 

You were half blasted ere I knew you : ha ! 
Have 1 my pillow left unpress'd in Rome, 



,i8 ANTOISIY AND CLEOPATRA 

Forborne the getting of a lawful race, 
And by a gem of women, to be abus'd 
By one that looks on feeders ? 

CLEOPATRA 

Good my lord, — 

ANTONY 

You have been a boggier ever : 

And when we in our viciousness grow hard — 

misery on 't ! — the wise gods seel our eyes ; 

In our own filth drop our clear judgements ; make us 
Adore our errors; laugh at 's, while we strut 
To our confusion. 

CLEOPATRA 

O, is 't come to this? 

ANTONY 

1 found you as a morsel cold upon 

Dead Caesar's trencher; nay, you were a fragment 
Of Cneius Pompey's ; besides what hotter hours, 
Unregister'd in vulgar fame, you have 
Luxuriously pick'd out : for, I am sure. 
Though you can guess what temperance should be, 
You know not what it is. 

CLEOPATRA 

Wherefore is this ? 

ANTONY 

To let a fellow that will take rewards 
And say « God quit you! » be familiar with 
My. playfellow, your hand ; this kingly seal 
And plighter of high hearts ! O, that I were 
Upon the hill of Basan, to outroar 



ACT 111, SCESE Xlll 119 

The hornM herd I for I have savage cause ; 
And to proclaim it civilly, were like 
A halterd neck which does the hangman thank 
For being yare about him. 

Ke-inier ATTENDANTS u/zh THYREUS. 

Is he whipp'd ? 

FIRST ATTENDANT 

Soundly, my lord. 

ANTONY 

Cried he ? and begg'dhe pardon? 

FIRST ATTENDANT 

He did ask favour. 

ANTONY 

If that thy father live, let him repent 

Thou wast not made his daus^hter; and be thou sorrv 

To follow Caesar in his triumph, since 

Thou hast been whipp'd for following him : henceforth 

The white hand of a lady fever thee. 

Shake thou to look on 't. Get thee back to Caesar, 

Tell him thy entertainment : look thou say 

He makes me angry with him ; for he seems 

Proud and disdainful, harping on what I am. 

Not what he knew I was : he makes me angry ; 

And at this time most easy 't is to do 't. 

When my good stars, that were my former guides. 

Have empty left their orbs, and shot their fires 

Into the abvsm of hell. If he mislike 

My speech and what is done, tell him he has 



120 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

Hipparchus, my enfranched bondman, whom 
He may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture. 
As he shall like, to quit me : urge it thou : 
Hence w^ith thy stripes, begone ! 

Exit Thyreus. 
CLEOPATRA 

Have you done vet? 

ANTONY 

Alack, our terrene moon 
Is now eclips'd; and it portends alone 
The fall of Antony ! 

CLEOPATRA 

I must stay his time. 

ANTONY 

To flatter Caesar, would you mingle eyes 
With one that ties his points? 

CLEOPATRA 

Not know me yet? 

ANTONY 

Cold-hearted toward me ? 

CLEOPATRA 

Ah, dear, if I be so, 
From my cold heart let heaven engender hail, 
And poison it in the source; and the first stone 
Drop in my neck : as it determines, so 
Dissolve my life ! The next Cssarion smite ! 
Till by degrees the memory of my womb, 
Together with my brave Egyptians all, 
By the discandying of this pelleted storm. 



ACT HI, SCENE XllI 121 

Lie graveless, till the flies and gnats of Nile 
Have buried them for prey ! 

ANTONY 

I am satisfied. 
Caesar sits down in Alexandria; where 
I will oppose his fate. Our force by land 
Hath nobly held; our severM navy too 
Have knit again, and fleet, threatening most sea-like. 
Where hast thou been, my heart.'* Dost thou hear, lady? 
If from the field I shall return once more 
To kiss these lips, I will appear in blood ; 
I and my sword will earn our chronicle: 
There^ 's hope in't vet. 

CLEOPATRA 

That 's my brave lord ! 

ANTONY 

I will be treble-sinew'd, hearted, breathed. 
And fight maliciously : for when mine hours 
Were nice and lucky, men did ransom lives 
Of me for jests; but now I '11 set my teeth. 
And send to darkness all that stop me. Come, 
Let 's have one other gaudy night : call to me 
All my sad captains; fill our bowls once more ; 
Let's mock the midnight bell. 

CLEOPATRA 

It is my birth-day : 
1 had thought to have held it poor; but, since mv lord 
Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra. 

.\NTONY 

We will yet do well. 

Antony and Cleopatra. 16 



1 2 2 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 



CLEOPATRA 

Call all his noble captains to my lord. 

ANTONY 

Do SO, we '11 speak to them; and to-night I '11 force 
The wine peep through their scars. Come on, my queen; 
There's sap in 't yet. The next time I do fight, 
I '11 make death love me ; for I will contend 
Even with his pestilent scythe. 

Exeunt all but Enobarbus. 
ENOBARBUS 

Now he 'II outstare the lightning. To be furious, 
Is to be frighted out of fear; and in that mood 
The dove will peck the estridge; and I see still, 
A diminution in our captain's brain 
Restores his heart : when valour preys on reason, 
It eats the sword it fights with. I will' seek 
Some way to leave him. 

Exit. 






.^^'' 




^. n 




ACT ly SCENE XV 




^ 



ACT IV 




SCENE I 





Before Alexandria. — Cjesar's camp 



EnXtr Ci£SAR, AGRIPPA, and MECiENAS, with his army; 
CJESAK reading a letter. 



CitSAR 

He calls me boy; and chides, as he had power 

To beat me out of Egypt; my messenger 

He hath whipp'd with rods ; dares meto personal combat, 

Caesar to Antony : let the old ruffian know 

I have many other ways to die ; meantime 

Laugh at his challenge. 



124 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

MECiENAS 

Cassar must think, 
When one so great begins to rage, he 's hunted 
Even to falling. Give him no breath, but now 
Make boot of his distraction : never anger 
Made good guard for itself. 

C/ESAR 

Let our best heads 
Know, that to-morrow the last of many battles 
We mean to fight : within our files there are, 
Of those that serv'd Mark Antony but late, 
Enough to fetch him in. See it done : 
And feast the army ; we have store to do 't, 
And they have earn'd the waste. Poor Antony ! 

Exeunt, 



SCENE II 

Alexandria. — Cleopatra's palace 

Enter ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, 
CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, with others. 

ANTONY 

He will not fight with me, Domitius. 

ENOBARBUS 

No. 

ANTONY 

Why should he not ? 



ACT IV, SCENE II i^S 

ENOBARBUS 

He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune, 
He is twenty men to one. 

ANTONY 

To-morrow, soldier, 
By sea and land I '11 fight : or I will live, 
Or bathe my dying honour in the blood / 

Shall make it live again. Woo 't thou fight well ? 

ENOBARBUS 

I '11 Strike, and cry « Take all » . 

ANTONY 

Well said ; come on. 
Call forth my household servants : let 's to-night 
Be bounteous at our meal. 

Enter three or four SERVITORS. 

Give me thy hand, 
Thou hast been rightly honest; — so hast thou; — 
Thou, — and thou, — and thou: — you have serv'd me well. 
And kings have been your fellows. 

CLEOPATRA, aside to Enobarbus, 

What means this? 

ENOBARBUS, aside to Cleopatra. 

'T is one of those odd tricks which sorrow shoots 
Out of the mind. 

ANTONY 

And thou art honest too. 
I wish I could be made so many men. 
And all of you clapp'd up together in 



126 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

All Antony, that 1 might do you service 
So good as you have done. 

ALL 

The gods forbid ! 

ANTONY 

Well, my good fellows, wait on me to-night : 
Scant not my cups ; and make as much of me 
As when mine empire was your fellow too, 
And suffer 'd my command. 

CLEOPATRA, aside to Enobarbus. 

What does he mean? 

ENOBARBUS, aside to Cleopatra. 

To make his followers weep. 

ANTONY 

Tend me to-night; 
May be it is the period of your duty : 
Haply you shall not see me more; or if, 
A mangled shadow : perchance to-morrow 
You '11 serve another master. I look on you 
As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends, 
I turn you not away; but, like a master 
Marri'd to your good service, stay till death : 
Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more, 
And the gods yield you for 't ! 

ENOBARBUS 

What mean you, sir, 
To give them this discomfort? Look, they weep ; 
And I, an ass, am onion-ey'd : for shame. 
Transform us not to women. 



ACJ IV, SCENE II 127 

ANTONY 

Ho, ho, ho 1 
Now the witch take me, if I meant it thus ! 
Grace grow where those drops fall ! My hearty friends, 
You take me in too dolorous a sense; 
For I spake to you for your comfort; did desire you 
To burn this night with torches : know, my hearts, 
I hope well of to-morrow ; and will lead you 
Where rather I '11 expect victorious life 
Than death and honour. Let 's to supper, come. 
And drown consideration. 

Exeunt. 



SCENE III 

The same. — Before the palace 

Enter two SOLDIERS to their guard. 

FIRST SOLDIER 

Brother, good night : to-morrow is the day. 

SECOND SOLDIER 

It will determine one way : fare you well. 
Heard you of nothing strange about the streets ^ 

FIRST SOLDIER 

Nothing. What news ? 

SECOND SOLDIER 

Belike 't is but a rumour. Good night to you. 

FIRST SOLDIER 

Well, sir, good night. 



128 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Enter two other SOLDIERS. 
SECOND SOLDIER 

Soldiers, have careful watch. 

THIRD SOLDIER 

And you. Good night, good night. 

They place themselves in every corner of the stage. 
FOURTH SOLDIER 

Here we : and if to-morrow 

Our navy thrive, I have an absolute hope 

Our landmen will stand up. 

THIRD SOLDIER 

'T is a brave army, 
And full of purpose. 

Music of the hautboys as under the stage. 
FOURTH SOLDIER 

Peace ! what noise? 

FIRST SOLDIER 



List, list ! 



SECOND SOLDIER 

Hark! 

• FIRST SOLDIER 

Music i'th'air. 

THIRD SOLDIER 

Under the earth, 

FOURTH SOLDIER 

It signs well, does it not? 

THIRD SOLDIER 

No. 



ACT IV, SCENE 111 129 

FIRST SOLDIER 

Peace, 1 say! 
What should this mean? 

SECOND SOLDIER 

'T is the god Hercules, whom Antony lov'd, 
Now leaves him. 

FIRST SOLDIER 

Walk; let 's see if other watchmen 
Do hear what we do. 

They advance to another post. 
SECOND SOLDIER 

How now, masters! 

ALL, speaking together. 

How now ! 
How now! do you hear this ? 

FIRST SOLDIER 

Ay ; is 't not strange? 

THIRD SOLDIER 

Do you hear, masters ? do you hear ? 

FIRST SOLDIER 

Follow the noise so far as we have quarter ; 
Let 's see how it will give off. 

ALL 

Content. 'T is strange. 

Exeunt. 



Antony and Cleopatra. 17 



3o ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 



SCENE IV 

The same. — A room in the palace 

Enter ANTONY and CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and 
others attending. 

ANTONY 

Eros! mine armour, Eros! 

CLEOPATRA 

Sleep a little. 

ANTONY 

No, my chuck. Eros, come; mine armour, Eros ! 
Enter EROS with arnioiir. 

Come, good fellow, put mine iron on : 
If fortune be not ours to-day, it is 
Because we brave her : come 

CLEOPATRA 

Nay, I '11 help too 
What 's this for ? 

ANTONY 

Ah, let be, let be! thou art 
The armourer of my heart : false, false ; this, this. 

CLEOPATRA 

Sooth, la, I '11 help : thus it must be. 

ANTONY 

Well, well; 



ACT IV, SCENE IV i3 

We shall thrive now. Seest thou, my good fellow? 
Go put on thy defences. 

EROS 

Briefly, sir. 

CLEOPATRA 

Is not this buckled well? 

ANTONY 

Rarely, rarely': 
He that unbuckles this, till we do please 
To daff 't for our repose, shall hear a storm. 
Thou fumblest, Eros ; and my queen 's a squire 
More tight at this than thou : dispatch. O love, 
That thou couldst see my wars to-day, and knew'st 
The royal occupation ! thou shouldst see 
A workman in 't. 

Enter an armed SOLDIER. 

Good morrow to thee; welcome: 
Thou look'st like him that knows a warlike charge : 
To business that we love we rise betime, 
And go to 't with delight. 

SOLDIER 

A thousand, sir, 
Early though 't be, have on their riveted trim, 
And at the port expect you. - 

Shout. Trumpets flourish. 

Enter CAPTAINS and SOLDIERS. 
CAPTAINS 

The morn is fair. Good morrow, general. 



i32 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

ALL 

Good morrow, general. 

ANTONY 

'T is well blown, lads : 
This morning, like the spirit of a youth 
That means to'be of note, begins betimes. 
So, so; come, give me that : this way; well said. 
Fare thee well, dame, whate'er becomes of me : 
This is a soldier's kiss : rebukeable 

Kisses her. 

And worthy shameful check it were, to stand 
On more mechanic compliment; I '11 leave thee 
Now, like a man of steel. You that will fight. 
Follow me close ; I '11 bring you to 't. Adieu. 

Exeunt Antony, Eros, Captains and Soldiers. 
CHARM IAN 

Please you, retire to your chamber. 

CLEOPATRA 

Lead me. 
He goes forth gallantly. That he and Csesar might 
Determine this great war in single fight I 
Then, Antony, — but now — Well, on. 

Exeunt. 

SCENE V 

Alexandria. — Antony's camp 

Trumpets sound. ^ 

Enkr ANTONY and EROS; a SOLDIER meeting them. 

SOLDIER 

The gods make this a happy day to Antony! 



ACT IV, SCENE V i33 

ANTONY 

Would thou and those thy scars had once prevail'd 
To make me fight at land ! 

SOLDIER 

Hadst thou done so, 
The kings that have revolted, and the soldier 
That has this morning left thee, would have still 
FoUow'd thy heels. 

ANTONY 

Who's gone this morning? 

SOLDIER 

W^ho! 
One ever near thee : call for Enobarbus, 
He shall not hear thee ; or from Caesar's camp 
Say « I am none of thine » . 

ANTONY 

What say'st thou ? 

SOLDIER 

Sir, 
He is with Caesar. 

EROS 

Sir, his chests and treasure 
He has not with him. 

ANTONY 

Is he gone? 

SOLDIER 

Most certain. 

ANTONY 

Go, Eros, send his treasure after; do it; 
Detain no jot, I charade thee : write to him — 



i34 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

I will subscribe — gentle adieus and greetings ; 
Say that I wish he never find more cause 
To chancre a master. O. mv fortunes have 
Corrupted honest men ! Dispatch. — Enobarbus! 

Exeunt. 



SCENE VI 

Alexandria. — Cesar's camp 
Enter C^SAR, AGRIPPA, with ENOBARBUS, and others. 

Cits A R 

Go forth, Agrippa, and begin the fight : 
Our will is Antony be took alive; 
Make it so known. 

AGRIPPA 



Caesar, I shall. 



Exit. 



C/E.SAK 

The time of universal peace is near : 

Prove this a prosp'rous day, the three-nook'd world 

Shall bear the olive freely. 

Enter a MESSENGER. 

MESSENGER 

Antony 
Is come into the field. 

CitSAR, 

Go charge Agrippa 



ACT IV, SCENE VI i35 

Plant those that have revolted in the van, 
That Antony may seem to spend his fury 
Upon himself. 

Exeunt all but Enobarbus. 
ENOBARBUS 

Alexas did revolt ; and went to Jewry on 
Affairs of Antony ; there did persuade 
Great Herod to incline himself to Caesar, 
And leave his master Antony : for this pains 
Caesar hath hang'd him. Canidius and the rest 
That fell away have entertainment, but 
No honourable trust. I have done ill ; 
Of which I do accuse myself so sorely, 
That I will joy no more. 

Enter a SOLDIER of Cxsar's. 
SOLDIER 

Enobarbus, Antony 
Hath after thee sent all thy treasure, with 
His bounty overplus : the messenger 
Came on my guard ; and at thy tent is now 
Unloading of his mules. 

ENOBARBUS 

I give it you. 

SOLDIER 

Mock not, Enobarbus. 

I tell you true : best you saf'dthe bringer 

Out of the host; I must attend mine office, 

Or would have done 't myself. Your emperor 

Continues still a Jove. 

Exit. 



i36 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

ENOBARBUS 

I am alone the villain of the earth, 

And feel I am so most. O Antony, 

Thou mine of bounty, how wouldst thou have paid 

My better service, when my turpitude 

Thou dost so crown with gold! This blows my heart: 

If swift thought break it not, a swifter mean 

Shall outstrike thought : but thought will do 't, I feel 

I fight against thee! No : I will go seek 

Some ditch wherein to die; the foul'st best fits 

My latter part of life. 

Exit. 



SCENE VII 

Field of battle between the camps 

Alarum. Drums and trumpets. 
\ Enter AGRIPPA and others. 

AGRIPPA 

Retire, we have engag'd ourselves too far: 
Cassar himself has work, and our oppression 
Exceeds what we expected. 

Alarums. Exeunt. 

Enter ANTONY, and SCARUS wounded. 
SCARUS 

O my brave emperor, this is fought indeed! 

Had we done so at first, we had droven them home 

With clouts about their heads. 



ACT IV, SCENE VII iSy 

ANTONY 

Thou bleed'st apace. 

SCARUS 

I had a wound here that was like a T, 
But now 't is made an H. 

ANTONY 

They do retire. 

SCARUS 

We '11 beat 'em into bench-holes : I have yet 
Room for six scotches more. 

Enter EROS. 
EROS 

They are beaten, sir; and our advantage serves 
For a fair victory. 

SCARUS 

Let us score their backs, 
And snatch 'em up, as we take hares, behind : 
'T is sport to maul a runner. 

ANTONY 

I will reward thee 
Once for thy spritely comfort, and ten-fold 
For thy good valour. Come thee on. 

SCARUS 

I '11 halt after. 

Exeunt. 



Antony and Cleopatra. iS 



i3i^ ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 



SCENE VIII 

, Under the walls of Alexandria 

Alarum. 
Enfer ANTONY, in a march; SCARUS, with others. 

ANTONY 

We have beat him to his camp : run one before, 
And let the Queen know of our gests. To-morrow, 
Before the sun shall see 's, we '11 spill the blood 
That has to-day escap'd. 1 thank you all ; 
For doughty-handed are you, and have fought 
Not as you serv'd the cause, but as 't had been 
Each man's like mine ; you have shown all Hectors. 
Enter the city, clip your wives, your friends, 
Tell them your feats ; whilst they with joyful tears 
Wash the congealment from your wounds, and kiss 
The honour'd gashes whole. 

To Scarus. 

Give me thy hand; 

Enter CLEOPATRA, attended. 

To this great fairy I '11 commend thy acts. 
Make her thanks bless thee. 

To Cleopatra. 

O thou day o' th' world, 
Chain mine arm'd neck : leap thou, attire and all, 
Through proof of harness to my heart, and there 
Ride on the pants triumphing! 



ACT IV, SCENE VIII 189 

CLEOPATRA 

Lord of lords ! 
O infinite virtue, com'st thou snniling from 
The world's great snare uncaught? 

ANTONY 

My nightingale. 
We have beat them to their beds. What, girl ! though grey 
Do something mingle with our younger brown, yet ha' we 
A brain that nourishes our nerves, and can 
Get goal for goal of youth. Behold this man; 
Commend unto his lips thy favouring hand : 
Kiss it, my warrior : he hath fought to-day 
As if a god, in hate of mankind, had 
Destroyed in such a shape. 

CLEOPATRA 

I '11 give thee, friend, 
An armour all of gold; it w^as a king's. 

ANTONY 

He has deserv'd it, were it carbuncled 

Like holy Phoebus' car. Give me thy hand : 

Through Alexandria make a jolly march ; 

Bear our hack'd targets like the men that owe them : 

Had our great palace the capacity 

To camp this host, we all would sup together, 

And drink carouses to the next day's fate, 

Which promises royal peril. Trumpeters, 

With brazen din blast you the city's ear; 

Make mingle with our rattling tabourines; 

That heaven and earth may strike their sounds together, 

Applauding our approach. Exeunt. 



140 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

SCENE IX 

CiESAR's CAMP 

SENTINELS at their post. 
FIRST SOLDIER 

If we be not reliev'd within this hour, 

We must return to th' court of guard : the night 

Is shiny; and they say we shall embattle 

By the second hour i' th' morn. 

SECOND SOLDIER 

This last day was 
A shrewd one to 's. 

Enter ENOBARBUS. 
ENOBARBUS 

O, bear me witness, night, - 

THIRD SOLDIER 

What man is this? 

SECOND SOLDIER 

Stand close, and list him. 

ENOBARBUS 

Be witness to me, O thou blessed moon, 
When men revolted shall upon record 
Bear hateful memory, poor Enobarbus did 
Before thy face repent! 

FIRST SOLDIER 

Enobarbus! 



ACT IV, SCENE IX 141 

THIRD SOLDIER 

Peace! 

Hark further. 

ENOBARBUS 

O sovereign mistress of true melancholy, 
The poisonous damp of night disponge upon me, 
That life, a very rebel to my will, 
May hang no longer on me : throw my heart 
Against the flint and hardness of my fault; 
Which, being dried with grief, will break to powder, 
And finish all foul thoughts. O Antony, 
Nobler than my revolt is infamous. 
Forgive me in thine own particular; 
But let the world rank me in register 
A master-leaver and a fugitive : 
O Antony! O Antony! 

Dies. 
SECOND SOLDIER 

Let 's speak 
To him. 

FIRST SOLDIER 

Let 's hear him, for the things he speaks 
May concern Caesar. 

THIRD SOLDIER 

Let 's do so. But he sleeps. 

FIRST SOLDIER 

Swoons rather; for so bad a prayer as his 
Was never yet for sleep. 

SECOND SOLDIER 

Go we to him. 



142 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

THIRD SOLDIER 

Awake, sir, awake; speak to us. 

SECOND SOLDIER 

Hear you, sir? 

FIRST SOLDIER 

The hand of death hath raught him. 

Drums afar off. 

Hark! the drums 
Demurely wake the sleepers. Let us bear him 
To the court of guard; he is of note : our hour 
Is fully out. 

THIRD SOLDIER 

Come on, then ; 
He may recover yet. 

Exeunt with the body. 



SCENE X 

Between the two camps 

Enter ANTONY and SCARUS, with their army. 

ANTONY 

Their preparation is to-day by sea; 
We please them not by land. 

SCARUS 

For both, my lord. 

ANTONY 

I would they 'Id fight i' th' fire or i' th' air; • 
We 'Id fight there too. But this it is; our foot 



ACT IV, SCENE X i^S 

Upon the hills adjoining to the city 
Shall stay with us : order for sea is given; 
They have put forth the haven. [Go we up] 
Where their appointment we may best discover, 
And look on their endeavour. 

Exeunt. 



SCENE XI 

Another part of the same 

Enter CAESAR and his army. 

C^SAR 

But being charg'd, we will be still by land, 
Which, as I take 't, we shall ; for his best force 
Is forth to man his galleys. To the vales, 
And hold our best advantage. 

Exeuni. 

SCENE XII 

Another part of the same 

Enter ANTONY and SCARUS. 

ANTONY 

Yet they are not joinM : where yond pine does stand, 
I shall discover all : I '11 bring thee word 
Straight, how 't is like to go. 

Exit. 



,44 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

SCARUS 

Swallows have built 
In Cleopatra's sails their nests : the augurers 
Say they know not, they cannot tell; look grimly, 
And dare not speak their knowledge. Antony 
Is valiant, and dejected; and, by starts, 
His fretted fortunes give him hope, and fear, 
Of what he has, and has not. 

Alarum afar off, as at a sea-fight. 

Ke-enter ANTONY. 
ANTONY 

All is lost; 
This foul Egyptian hath betrayed me : 
My fleet hath yielded to the foe; and yonder 
They cast their caps up and carouse together 
Like friends long lost. Triple-turn'd whore! 't is thou 
Hast sold me to this novice; and my heart 
Makes only wars on thee. Bid them all fly; 
For when I am reveng'd upon my charm, 
I have done all. Bid them all fly; begone. 

Exit Scarus. 

O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more : 

Fortune and Antony part here; even here 

Do we shake hands. All come to this? The hearts 

That spaniel'd me at heels, to whom I gave 

Their wishes, do discandy, melt their sweets 

On blossoming Caesar; and this pine is bark'd, 

That overtopp'd them all. Betray'd I am : 

O this false soul of Egypt ! this grave charm, — 



ACT IV, SCENE XII 14^ 

Whose eye beck'd forth my wars, and call'd them home; 
Whose bosom was my crownet, my chief end, — 
Like a right gipsy, hath, at fast and loose, 
Beguil'd me to the very heart of loss. 
What, Eros, Eros! 

Enter CLEOPATRA. 

Ah, thou spell! Avaunt! 

CLEOPATRA 

Why is my lord enrag'd against his love? 

ANTONY 

Vanish, or I shall give thee thy deserving, 
And blemish Caesar's triumph. Let him take thee, 
And hoist thee up to the shouting plebeians : 
Follow his chariot, like the greatest spot 
Of all thy sex ; most monster-like, be shown 
For poor'st diminutives, for doits; and let 
Patient Octavia plough thy visage up 
With her prepared nails. 

Exit Cleopatra. 

'T is well thou 'rt gone. 
If it be well to live; but better 't were 
Thou fell'st into my fury, for one death 
Might have prevented many. Eros, ho! 
The shirt of Nessus is upon me : teach me, 
Alcides, thou mine ancestor, thy rage : 
Let me lodge Lichas on the horns o' th' moon; 
And with those hands, that grasp'd the heaviest club 
Subdue my worthiest self. The witch shall die : 

Antony and Cleopatra. 19 



146 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

To the young Roman boy she hath sold me, and I fall 
Under this plot ; she dies for 't. Eros, ho ! 

Exit. 



SCENE XIII 

' Alexandria. — Cleopatra's palace 

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS 
and MARDIAN. 

CLEOPATRA 

Help me, my women! O, he is more mad 
Than Telamon for his shield; the boar of Thessaly 
Was never so emboss'd 

CHARMIAN 

To the monument! 
There lock yourself, and send him word you are dead, 
The soul and body rive not more in parting 
Than greatness going off. 

CLEOPATRA 

To the monument! 
Mardian, go tell him I have slain myself; 
Say, that the last I spoke was « Antony », 
And word it, prithee, piteously : hence, Mardian, 
And bring me how he takes my death. To the monument! 

Exeunt, 



ACT IV, SCESE XIV 147 

SCENE XIV 

The same. — Another room 

Enter ANTONY anJ EROS. 

ANTONY 

Eros, thou yet behold'st me? 

EROS 

Ay, noble lord. 

ANTONY 

Sometime we see a cloud that 's dragonish; 

A vapour sometime like a bear or lion, 

A tower'd citadel, a pendent rock, 

A forked mountain, or blue promontory 

With trees upon 't, that nod unto the world, 

And mock our eyes with air : thou hast seen these signs ; 

They are black vesper's pageants. 

EROS 

Av, my lord. 

ANTONY 

That which is now a horse, even with a thought 
The rack dislimns, and makes it indistinct, 
As water is in water. 

EROS 

It does, my lord. 

ANTONY 

My good knave Eros, now thy captain is 
Even such a body : here I am Antony; 



148 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave. 
I made these wars for Egypt : and the Queen, — 
Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine; 
Which whilst it was mine had annex'd unto 't 
A million more, now lost, — she, Eros, has 
Pack'd cards with Caesar, and false-play'd my glory 
Unto an enemy's triumph. 
Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us 
Ourselves to end ourselves. 

Enter MARDIAN. 

O, ihy vile lady ! 
She has robb'd me of my sword. 

MARDIAN 

No, Antony; 
My mistress lov'd thee, and her fortunes mingled 
With thine entirely. 

ANTONY 

Hence, saucy eunuch; peace ! 
She hath betray'd me and shall die the death. 

MARDIAN 

Death of one person can be paid but once. 

And that she has discharged : what thou wouldst do 

Is done unto thy hand : the last she spake 

Was « Antony ! most noble Antony ! » 

Then in the midst a tearing groan did break 

The name of Antony ; it was divided 

Between her heart and lips : she render'd life, 

Thv name so buried in her. 



ACT IV, SCESE XIV 149 

ANTONY 

Dead, then? 

MARDIAN 

Dead. 

ANTONY 

Unarm, Eros; the long day's task is done, 
And we must sleep. 

To Mardian. 

That thou depart'st hence safe. 
Does pay thy labour richly; go. 

Exit Mardian. 

Off, pluck off : 
The seven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep 
The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides 1 
Heart, once be stronger than thy continent. 
Crack thy frail case! Apace, Eros, apace. 
No more a soldier : bruised pieces, go; 
You have been nobly borne. From me awhile. 

Exit Eros. 

I will Overtake thee, Cleopatra, and 

Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now 

All length is torture : since the torch is out. 

Lie down, and stray no fanher : now all labour 

Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles 

Itself with strength : seal then, and all is done. 

Eros I — I come, my queen : — Eros I — Stay forme: 

Where souls do couch on flowers, we '11 hand in hand, 

And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze : 

Dido and her .Eneas shall want troops, 

And all the haunt be ours. Come, Eros, Eros ! 



i5o ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Ke-cnkr EROS. 
EROS 

What would my lord ? 

ANTONY 

Since Cleopatra died, 
I have liv'd in such dishonour, that the gods 
Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword 
Quarter'd the world, and o'er green Neptune's back 
With ships made cities, condemn myself to lack 
The courage of a woman; less noble mind 
Than she which by her death our Caesar tells 
(( I am conqueror of myself )>. Thou art sworn, Eros. 
That, when the exigent should come, which now 
Is come indeed, when I should see behind me 
The inevitable prosecution of 
Disgrace and horror, that, on my command, 
Thou then wouldst kill me : do 't; the time is come : 
Thou strik'st not me, 't is C^sar thou defeat'st. 
Put colour in thy cheek. 

EROS 

The gods withhold me 1 
Shall I do that which all the Parthian darts, 
Though enemy, lost aim, and could not? 

ANTONY 

Eros, 
Wouldst thou be window'd in great Rome and see 
Thy master thus with pleach'd arms, bending down 
His corrigible neck, his face subdu'd 
To penetrative shame, whilst the wheel'd seat 



ACT IV, SCESE XIV i5i 

Of fortunate Cassar, drawn before him, branded 

His baseness that ensued? 

EROS 

I would not see 't. 

ANTONY 

Come, then ; for with a wound I must be cur'd. 
Draw that thy honest sword, which thou hast worn 
Most useful for thy country. 

ER05 

O, sir, pardon mel 

ANTONY 

When I did make thee free, swor'st thou not then 
To do this when I bade thee ? Do it at once ; 
Or thy precedent services are all 
But accidents unpurpos'd. Draw, and come. 

EROS 

Turn from me, then, that noble countenance. 
Wherein the worship of the whole world lies. 

ANTONY 

Lo thee ! 

Turning from him, 
EROS 

My sword is drawn. 

ANTONY 

Then let it do at once 
The thing why thou hast drawn it. 

EROS 

My dear master, 
My captain, and my emperor, let me say, 
Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell. 



52 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 



I J2 



ANTONY 

'T is said, man; and farewell. 

EROS 

Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now? 

ANTONY 

Now, Eros. 

EROS 

Why, there then : thus I do escape the sorrow 
Of Antony's death. 

Kills himself, 
ANTONY 

Thrice-nobler than myself! 
Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros, what 
I should, and thou couldst not. My queen and Eros 
Have by their brave instruction got upon me 
A nobleness in record : but I will be 
A bridegroom in my death, and run into 't 
As to a lover's bed. Come then; and, Eros, 
Thy master dies thy scholar : to do thus 

Falling on his sword. 

I learn'd of thee. How! not dead? not dead? 
The guard, ho! O, dispatch me! 

Enter DERCETAS and GUARD. 
FIRST GUARD 

What 's the noise? 

ANTONY 

I have done my work ill, friends : O, make an end 
Of what I have begun. 



ACT IV, SCENE XIV i53 

SECOND GUARD 

The star is faU'n. 

FIRST GUARD 

And time is at his period. 

ALL 

Alas, and woe! 

ANTONY 

Let him that loves me strike me dead. 

FIRST GUARD 

Not I. 

SECOND GUARD 

Nor I. 

THIRD GUARD 

Nor any one. 

• Exeunt guard. 

DERCETAS 

Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly. 
This sword but shown to Caesar, with this tidings, 
Shall enter me with him. 

Enter DIOMEDES. 
DIOMEDES 

Where 's Antony? 

DERCETAS 

There, Diomed, there. 

DIOMEDES 

Lives he ? 
Wilt thou not answer, man? " 

Exit Dercetas. 
Antony and Cleopatra. ' 20 



i54 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

ANTONY 

Art thou there, Diomed ? Draw thy sword, and give me 
Sufficing strokes for death. 

DIOMEDES 

Most absolute lord, 
My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee. 

ANTONY 

When did she send thee? 

DIOMEDES 

Now, my lord. 

ANTONY 

Where is she.? 

DIOMEDES 

Lock'd in her monument. She had a prophesying fear 
Of what hath come to pass : for when she saw — 
Which never shall be found — you did suspect 
She had dispos'd with Ccesar, and that your rage 
Would not be purg'd, she sent you word she was dead; 
But, fearing since how it might work, hath sent 
Me to proclaim the truth; and I am come, 
I dread, too late. 

ANTONY 

Too late, good Diomed : call my guard, I prithee. 

DIOMEDES 

What, ho, the Emperor's guard ! The guard, what, ho ! 
Come, your lord calls ! 

Enter four or five of the GUARD of Antony. 
ANTONY 

Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides; 



ACT IV, SCENE XIV i55 

'T is the last service that I shall command you. 

FIRST GUARD 

Woe, woe are we, sir, you may not live to wear 
All your true followers out. 

ALL 

Most heavy day! 

ANTONY 

Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp fate 
To grace it with your sorrows : bid that welcome 
Which comes to punish us, and we punish it 
Seeming to bear it lightly. Take me up : 
I have led you oft : carry me now, good friends, 
And have my thanks for all. 

Exeunt, bearing Antony. 



SCENE XV 

The same, — A monument 

Enter CLEOPATRA, and her maids aloft, with 
CHARMIAN and IRAS. 

CLEOPATRA 

O Charmian, I will never go from hence. 

, CHARMIAN 

Be comforted, dear madam. 

CLEOPATRA 

No, I will not : 
All strange and terrible events are welcome. 
But comforts we despise ; our size of sorrow, 



i56 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Proportion'd to our cause, must be as great 
As that which makes it. 

Enter, below, DIOMEDES. 

How now! is he dead? 

DIOMEDES 

His death 's upon him, but not dead. 
Look out o' th' other side your monument; 
His guard have brought him thither. 

Enter, below, ANTONY, borne by the GUARD. 
CLEOPATRA 

O sun, 
Burn the great sphere thou mov'st in! darkling stand 
The varying shore o' th' world. O Antony, 
Antony, Antony ! Help, Charmian, help, Iras, help; 
Help, friends below; let 's draw him hither. 

ANTONY 

Peace! 

Not Cesar's valour hath o'erthrown Antony, 
But Antony's hath triumph'd on itself. 

CLEOPATRA 

So it should be, that none but Antony 
Should conquer Antony; but woe 't is so ! 

ANTONY 

I am dying, Egypt, dying; only 
I here importune death awhile, until 
Of many thousand kisses the poor last 
I lay upon thy lips. 



ACT IV, SCENE XV i5 

CLEOPATRA 

I dare not, dear, — 
Dear my lord, pardon, — I dare not, 
Lest I be taken : not the imperious show 
Of the full-fortun'd Caesar ever shall 
Be brooch'd with me; if knife, drugs, serpents, have 
Edge, sting, or operation, I am safe : 
Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes 
And still conclusion, shall acquire no honour 
Demuring upon me. But come, come, Antony, — 
Help me, my women, — we must draw thee up : 
Assist, good friends. 

ANTONY 

O, quick, or I am gone. 

CLEOPATRA 

Here 's sport indeed ! How heavy weighs my lord ! 
Our strength is all gone into heaviness. 
That makes the weight : had I great Juno's power, 
The strong-wing'd Mercury should fetch thee up, 
And set thee by Jove's side. Yet come a little, — 
Wishers were ever fools, — O, come, come, come; 

They heave Antony aloft to Cleopatra. 

And welcome, welcome ! die where thou hast lived : 
Quicken with kissing : had my lips that power, 
Thus would I wear them out. 

ALL 

A heavy sight ! 

ANTONY 

I am dying, Egypt, dying: 
ive me some v/ine, and let me speak a little. 






i58 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

CLEOPATRA 

No, let me speak; and let me rail so high, 

That the false housewife Fortune break her wheel, 

Provok'd by my offence. 

ANTONY 

One word, sweet queen : 
Of Caesar seek your honour, with your safety. O ! 

CLEOPATRA 

They do not go together. 

ANTONY 

Gentle, hear me : 
None about Caesar trust but Proculeius. 

CLEOPATRA 

My resolution and my hands I '11 trust; 
None about Cassar. 

ANTONY 

The miserable change now at my end 
Lament nor sorrow at; but please your thoughts 
In feeding them with those my former fortunes 
Wherein I liv'd, the greatest prince o' th' world, 
The noblest; and do now not basely die, 
Not cowardly put off my helmet to 
My countryman, — a Roman by a Roman 
Valiantly vanquish'd. Now my spirit is going; 
I can no more. 

CLEOPATRA 

Noblest of men, woo 't die? 
Hast thou no care of me? shall I abide 
In this dull world, which in thy absence is 



ACT IV, SCENE XV i5() 

No better than a sty? O, see, my women, 

Antony dies. 

The crown o' th' earth doth melt. My lord! 

O, wither'd is the garland of the war, 

The soldier's pole is fall'n : young boys and girls 

Are level now with men; the odds is gone, 

And there is nothing left remarkable 

Beneath the visiting moon. 

Faints. 
CHARMIAN 

O, quietness, lady! 

IRAS 

She is dead too, our sovereign. 

CHARMIAN 

Lady! 

IRAS 

Madam ! 

CHARMIAN 

O madam, madam, madam ! 

IRAS 

Royal Egypt, 
Empress ! 

CHARMIAN 

Peace, peace, Iras! 

CLEOPATRA 

No more; but e'en a woman, and commanded 
By such poor passion as the maid that milks 
And does the meanest chares. It were for me 
To throw niy sceptre at the injurious gods; 
To tell them that this world did equal theirs 



I bo 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 



Till they had stoPn our jewel. All 's but naught; 

Patience is sottish, and impatience does 

Become a dog that 's mad : then is it sin 

To rush into the secret house of death, 

Ere death dare come to us? How do you, women? 

What, what! good cheer! Why, how now, Charmian ! 

My noble girls! Ah, women, women, look. 

Our lamp is spent, it 's out! Good sirs, take heart : 

We '11 bury him ; and then, what 's brave, what 's noble. 

Let 's do it after the high Roman fashion, 

And make death proud to take us. Come, away : 

This case of that huge spirit now is cold : 

Ah, women, women ! come; we have no friend 

But resolution, and the briefest end. 

Exeunt; those above bearing off Antony's body. 





ACT V. SCENE II 




'il 






~?f>^r 



r -'- 'ff- 



V y 






ACT V 



w 



^ -J^- -<■ 



SCENE 1 

Alexandria. — Cesar's camp 

Enitr CiESAR, AGRIPPA, DOLABELLA, MECENAS, 
GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, and others, his council of war. 



Cy^SAR 

Go to him, Dolabella, bid him yield; 
Being so frustrate, tell him he mocks 
The pauses that he makes. 

DOLABELLA 

Caesar, I shall, 

Antony and Cleopatra. 



Exit. 

2 I 



i62 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Enter DERCETAS with the sword of ANTONY . 
C^SAR 

Wherefore is that? and what art thou that dar'st 
Appear thus to us? 

DERCETAS 

I am call'd Dercetas; 
Mark Antony I serv'd, who best was worthy 
Best to be servM : whilst he. stood up and spoke, 
He was my master; and I wore my hfe 
To spend upon his haters. If thou please 
To take me to thee, as I was to him 
I '11 be to Caesar; if thou pleasest not, 
I yield thee up my life. 

CiESAR 

What is 't thou say'st? 

DERCETAS 

I say, O Caesar, Antony is dead. 

CitSAR 

The breaking of so great a thing should make 
A greater crack : the wounded world 
Should have shook lions into civil streets. 
And citizens to their dens : the death of Antony 
Is not a single doom; in the name lay 
A moiety of the world. 

DERCETAS 

He is dead, Cassar; 
Not by a public minister of justice, 
Nor by a hired knife; but that self hand. 
Which writ his honour in the acts it did. 



ACT V, SCENE I i63 

Hath, with the courage which the heart did lend it, 
Splitted the heart. This is his sword; 
I robb'd his wound of it; behold it stain'd 
With his most noble blood. 

C^SAR 

Look you sad, friends? 
The gods rebuke me, but it is tidings 
To wash the eyes of kings. 

AGRIPPA 

And strange it is, 
That nature must compel us to lament 
Our most persisted deeds. 

MEC^NAS 

His taints and honours 
Waged equal with him. 

AGRIPPA 

A rarer spirit never 
Did steer humanity; but you, gods, will give us 
Some faults to make us men. Caesar is touch'd. 

MEC^NAS 

When such a spacious mirror 's set before him, 
He needs must see himself. 

CiESAR 

O Antony! 
I have foUow'd thee to this; but we do lance 
Diseases in our bodies : I must perforce 
Have shown to thee such a declining day. 
Or look on thine; we could not stall together 
In the whole world : but yet let me lament, 
With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts, 



164 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

That thou, my brother, my competitor 

In top of all design, my mate in empire. 

Friend and companion in the front of war, 

The arm of mine own body, and the heart 

Where mine his thoughts did kindle, — that our stars, 

Unreconciliable, should divide 

Our equalness to this. Hear me, good friends, — 

But I v;ill tell you at some raeeter season : 

Enter an EGYPTIAN. 

The business of this man looks out of him ; 

We "11 hear him what he says. Whence are you? 

EGYPTIAN 

A poor Egyptian yet. The Queen my mistress. 
Confined in all she has, her monument, 
Of thy intents desires instruction, 
That she preparedly may frame herself 

To the way she 's forc'd to. 

CJESAK 

Bid her have good heart : 
She soon shall know of us, by some of ours, 
How honourably and how kindly we 
Determine for her; for Caesar cannot live 
To be ungentle. 

EGYPTIAN 

So the gods preserve ihee ; 

Exit. 
CvESAR 

Come hither, Proculeius. Go and say, 

We purpose her no shame : give her what comforts 



ACT V, SCESE I i63 

The quality of her passion shall require. 
Lest, in her greatness, by some mortal stroke 
She do defeat us; for her life in Rome 
Would be eternal in our triumph : go. 
And with your speediest bring us what she says, 
And how vou find of her. 

PROCULEIUS 

Caesar, I shall. 

Exit. 
CASAR 

Callus, go you along. 

Exit Gal!us. 

Where 's Dolabella, 
To second Proculeius? 

ALL 

Dolabella! 

C^SAR 

Let him alone, for I remember now 

How he 's employ'd : he shall in time be ready. 

Co with me to my tent ; where you shall see 

How hardly I was drawn into this war ; 

How calm and gentle I proceeded still 

In all my writings : go with me, and see 

What 1 can show in this. 

Exeur.t. 



i66 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

SCENE II 

Alexandria. — A room in the monument 

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN and IRAS. 

CLEOPATRA 

My desolation does begin to make 

A better life. 'T is paltry to be Caesar; 

Not being Fortune, he 's but Fortune's knave, 

A minister of her will : and it is great 

To do that thing that ends all other deeds; 

Which shackles accidents and bolts up change; 

Which sleeps, and never palates more the dug, 

The beggar's nurse and Caesar's. 

Enter, to the gates of the monununt, PROCULEIUS, 
CALLUS and SOLDIERS. 

PROCULEIUS 

C^sar sends greeting to the Queen of Egypt ; 
And bids thee study on what fair demands 
Thou mean'st to have him grant thee. 

CLEOPATRA 

What 's thy name? 

PROCULEIUS 

My name is Proculeius. 

CLEOPATRA 

Antony 
Did tell me of you, bade me trust you ; but 
I do not greatly care to be deceiv'd, 
That have no use for trusting. If your master 



ACT V, SCENE II 167 

Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him, 

That majesty, to keep decorum, must 

No less beg than a kingdom : if he please 

To give me conquer'd Egypt for my son, 

He gives me so much of mine own, as I 

Will kneel to him with thanks. 

PROCULEIUS 

Be of good cheer; 
You 're fall'n into a princely hand, fear nothing: 
Make your full reference freely to my lord. 
Who is so full of grace, that it flows over 
On all that need : let me report to him 1 

Your sweet dependency; and you shall find 
A conqueror that will pray in aid for kindness. 
Where he for grace is kneel'd to. 

CLEOPATRA 

Pray you, tell him 
I am his fortune's vassal, and I send him 
The greatness he has got. I hourly learn 
A doctrine of obedience ; and would gladly 
Look him i' th' face. 

PROCULEIUS 

This 1 '11 report, dear lady. 
Have comfort, for I know your plight is pitied 
Of him that caused it. 

CALLUS 

You see how easily she may be surprised : 

Here Proculeius and two of ihe Gaaid ascend the monument by a 
ladder placed against a window, and, having descended, come 
behind Cleopatra. Some of the Guard unbar and open the gates. 



i68 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

To Proculeius and the Guard, 

Guard her till Caesar come. 

Exit. 
IRAS 

Royal queen ! 

CHARMIAN 

O Cleopatra! thou art taken, queen. 

CLEOPATRA 

Quick, quick, good hands. 

Drawing a dagger. 
PROCULEIUS 

Hold, worthy lady, hold : 

Seizes and disarms her. 

Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this 
Reliev'd, but not betray'd. 

CLEOPATRA 

What, of death too, 
That rids our dogs of languish? 

PROCULEIUS 

Cleopatra, 
Do not abuse my master's bounty by 
The undoing of yourself : let the world see 
His nobleness well acted, which your death 
Will never let come forth. 

CLEOPATRA 

Where art thou, death ? 
Come hither, come! come, come, and take a queen 
Worth many babes and beggars! 

PROCULEIUS 

O, temperance, lady 



ACT V, SCENE H 169 

CLEOPATRA 

Sir, 1 will eat no meat, I 'II not drink, sir; 

If idle talk will once be necessary, 

I^'ll not sleep neither : this mortal house I '11 ruin, 

Do Caesar what he can. Know, sir, that I 

Will not wait pinion'd at your master's court; 

Nor once be chastised with the sober eye 

Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up 

And show me to the shouting varletry 

Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt 

Be gentle grave unto me! rather on Nilus' mud 

Lay me stark-nak'd, and let the water-flies 

Blow me into abhorring ! rather make 

My country's high pyramides my gibbet, 

And hang me up in chains 1 

PROCULEIUS 

You do extend 
These thoughts of horror further than you shall 
Find cause in Caesar. 

Enter DOLABELLA. 
DOLABELLA 

Proculeius, 
What thou hast done thy master C^sar knows, 
And he hath sent for thee : for the Queen, 
I '11 take her to my guard. 

PROCULEIUS 

So, Dolabella, 
It shall content me best : be gentle to her, 

Antony and Cleopatra. 22 



lyo ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

To Cleopatra. 

To Cassar 1 will speak what you shall please, 
If you '11 employ me to him. 

CLEOPATRA 

Say, I would die. 

Exeunt Proculeius and Soldiers. 
DOLABELLA 

Most noble empress, you have heard of me ? 

CLEOPATRA 

I cannot tell. 

DOLABELLA 

Assuredly you know me. 

CLEOPATRA 

No matter, sir, what I have heard or known. 
You laugh when boys or women tell their dreams; 
Is 't not your trick? 

DOLABELLA 

I understand not, madam. 

CLEOPATRA 

I dream'd there was an Emperor Antony : 
O, such another sleep, that I might see 
But such another man ! 

DOLABELLA 

If it might please ye, — 

CLEOPATRA 

His face was as the heavens; and therein stuck 

A sun and moon, which kept their course, and lighted 

The little O, the earth. . 

DOLABELLA 

Most sovereign creature, — 



ACT V, SCENE II 171 

CLEOPATRA 

His legs bestrid the ocean : his rear'd arm 

Crested the world : his voice was propertied 

As all the tuned spheres, and that to friends; 

But v/hen he meant to quail and shake the orb, 

He was as rattling thunder. For his bounty, 

There was no winter in 't; an autumn 't was 

That grew the more by reaping; his delights 

Were dolphin-like; they show'd his back above 

The element they lived in : in his livery 

Walk'd crowns and crownets; realms and islands were 

As plates dropp'd from his pocket. 

DOLABELLA 

Cleopatra! 

CLEOPATRA 

Think you there was, or might be, such a man 
As this I dreamM of? 

DOLABELLA 

' Gentle madam, no. 

CLEOPATRA 

You lie, up to the hearing of the gods. 

But, if there be, or ever were, one such, 

It 's past the size of dreaming : nature wants stuff 

To vie strange forms with fancy; yet, to imagine 

An Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy. 

Condemning shadows quite. 

DOLABELLA 

Hear me, good madam. 
Your loss is as yourself, great; and you bear it 
As answering to the weight : would 1 might never 



172 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Overtake pursuM success, but I do feel, 
By the rebound of yours, a grief that shoots 
My very heart at root. 

CLEOPATRA 

I thank you, sir. 
Know you what Caesar means to do with me ? 

DOLABELLA 

I am loath to tell you what I would you knew. 

CLEOPATRA 

Nay, pray you, sir, — 

DOLABELLA 

Though he be honourable, — 

CLEOPATRA 

He '11 lead me, then, in triumph? 

DOLABELLA 

Madam, he will; I know 't. 

Flourish, and shout within : 

Make way there : Caesar! 

Enter CESAR, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, MEC.ENAS, 
SELEUCUS, and others of his train. 

CiESAR 

Which is the Queen of Egypt? 

DOLABELLA 

It is the Emperor, madam. 



Cleopatra kneels. 



CiESAR 

Arise, yau shall not kneel : 
I pray you, rise, rise, Egypt. 



. ACT V , SCENE II 173 

CLEOPATRA 

Sir, the gods 
Will have it thus ; my master and my lord 
I must obey. 

CiESAR 

Take to you no hard thoughts : 
The record of what injuries you did us, 
Though written in our flesh, we shall remember 
As things but done by chance. 

CLEOPATRA 

Sole sir o' th' world, 
I cannot project mme own cause so well 
To make it clear; but do confess I have 
Been laden with like frailties which before 
Have often sham'd our sex. 

CiESAR 

Cleopatra, know, 
We will extenuate rather than enforce : 
If you apply yourself to our intents. 
Which towards you are most gentle, you shall find 
A benefit in this change ; but if you seek 
To lay on me a cruelty, by taking 
Antony's course, you shall bereave yourself 
Of my good purposes, and put your children 
To that destruction which I '11 guard them from. 
If thereon you rely. I '11 take my leave. 

CLEOPATRA 

And may, through all the world : 't is yours; and we. 
Your scutcheons and your signs of conquest, shall 
Hang in what place you please. Here, my good lord, 



74 



ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 



CJESAK 

You shall advise me in all for Cleopatra. 

CLEOPATRA 

This is the brief of money, plate and jewels, 

I am possessed of : 't is exactly valued ; 

Not petty things admitted. Where 's Seleucus? 

SELEUCUS 

Here, madam. 

CLEOPATRA 

This is miy treasurer : let him speak, my lord, 

Upon his peril, that I have reserv'd 

To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus. 

SELEUCUS 

Madam, 

I had rather seal my lips, than, to my peril. 

Speak that which is not. 

CLEOPATRA 

What have I kept back? 

SELEUCUS 

Enough to purchase what you have made known. 

C^SAR 

Nay, blush not, Cleopatra ; I approve 
Your wisdom in the deed. 

CLEOPATRA 

See, Cassar! O, behold. 
How pomp is follow'd ! mine will now be yours; 
And, should we shift estates, yours would be mine. 
Th' ingratitude of this Seleucus does 
Even make me wild : O slave, of no more trust 



ACT V, SCENE II i-jS 

Than love that 's hir'd! What, goest thou back? thou shalt 
Go back, I warrant thee ; but I '11 catch thine eyes, 
Though they had wings; slave, soulless villain, dog! 
O rarely base ! 

CitSAR 

Good queen, let us entreat you. 

CLEOPATRA 

O Cassar, what a wounding shame is this. 

That thou, vouchsafing here to visit me. 

Doing the honour of thy lordliness 

To one so meek, that mine own servant should 

Parcel the sum of my disgraces by 

Addition of his envy! Say, good Cassar, 

That I some lady trifles have reserv'd, 

Immoment toys, things of such dignity 

As we greet modern friends withal ; and say, 

Some nobler token I have kept apart 

For Livia and Octavia, to induce 

Their mediation ; must I be unfolded 

With one that I have bred? The gods! it smites me 

Beneath the fall I have. 

To Seleucus. 

Prithee, go hence; 
Or I shall show the cinders of my spirits 
Through the ashes of my chance : wert thou a man, 
Thou wouldst have mercy on me. 

Forbear, Seleucus. 

Exit Seleucus. 



176 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

CLEOPATRA 

Be it known, that we, the greatest, are misthought 
For things that others do; and, when we fall, 
We answer others^ merits in our name, 
Are therefore to be pitied. 

CjESAR 

Cleopatra, 
Not what you have reserv'd, nor what acknowledged, 
Put we i' th' roll of conquest : still be 't yours, 
Bestow it at your pleasure; and believe, 
Caesar 's no merchant, to make prize with you 
Of things that merchants sold. Therefore be cheer'd; 
Make not your thoughts your prisons : no, dear queen ; 
For we intend so to dispose you as 
Yourself shall give us counsel. Feed, and sleep : 
Our care and pity is so much upon you, 
That we remain your friend; and so, adieu. 

CLEOPATRA 

My master, and my lord ! 

CjESAR 

Not so. Adieu. 

Flourish. Exeunt Caesar and his train. 
CLEOPATRA 

He words me, girls, he words me, that I should not 
Be noble to myself : but, hark thee, Charmian. 

Whispers Charmian. 
IRAS 

Finish, good lady; the bright day is done. 
And we are for the dark. 



ACT V , SCENE II 
CLEOPATRA 

Hie thee again 
I have spoke already, and it is provided; 
Go put it to the haste. 

CHARMIAN 

Madam, I will. 

Ke-enier DOLABELLA. 
DOLABELLA 

Where is the Queen ? 

CHARMIAN 

Behold, sir. 



/ / 



Exit. 



CLEOPATRA 

Dolabellal 

DOLABELLA 

Madam, as thereto sworn by your command. 
Which my love makes religion to obey, 
I tell you this : Cassar through Syria 
Intends his journey; and within three days 
You with your children will he send before : 
Make your best use of this : I have perform'd 
Your pleasure and my promise. 

CLEOPATRA 

Dolabella, 
I shall remam your debtor. 

DOLABELLA 

I your servant. 
Adieu, good queen; I must attend on Caesar. 

Antony and Cleopatra. 2 3 



178 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

CLEOPATRA 

Farewell, and thanks. 

Exit Dolabella. 

Now, Iras, what think' st thou? 
Thou, an Egyptian puppet, shalt be shown 
In Rome, as well as I : mechanic slaves 
With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers, shall 
Uplift us to the view; in their thick breaths. 
Rank of gross diet, shall we be enclouded, 
And forc'd to drink their vapour. 

IRAS 

The gods forbid! 

CLEOPATRA 

Nay, 't is most certain, Iras : saucy lictors 

Will catch at us, like strumpets ; and scald rhymers 

Ballad us out o' tune : the quick comedians 

Extemporally will stage us, and present 

Our Alexandrian revels; Antony 

Shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see 

Some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness 

r th' posture of a whore. 

IRAS 

O the good gods ! 

CLEOPATRA 

Nay, that 's certain. 

IRAS 

I '11 never see 't; for, I am sure, my nails 
Are stronger than mine eyes. 

CLEOPATRA 

Why, that 's the way 



ACT V, SCENE II 179 



To fool their preparation, and to conquer 
Their most absurd intents. 



Ke-enier CHARMIAN. 

Now, Charmian • 
Show me, my women, like a queen : go fetch 
My best attires ; I am again for Cydnus, 
To meei Mark Antony : sirrah Iras, go. 
Now, noble Charmian, we '11 dispatch indeed; 
And, when thou hast done this chare, I '11 give thee leave 
To plav till doomsday. Bring our crown and all. 
Wherefore 's this noise ? 

Exit Iras. A noise witbin. 

EnUr a GUARDSMAN. 

GUARDSMAN 

Here is a rural fellow 
That will not be denied your highness' presence : 
He brings vou figs. 

CLEOPATRA 

Let him come in. 

Exit Guardsman . 

What poor an instrument 
May do a noble deed! he brings me liberty. 
My resolution 's placed, and I have nothing 
Of woman in me; now from head to foot 
I am marble-consiant; now the fleeting moon 
No planet is of mine. 



i8o ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Ke-enter GUARDSMAN, with CLOWN bnngbig 
in a basket. 

GUARDSMAN 

This is the man. 

CLEOPATRA 

Avoid, and leave him. 

Exit Guardsman. 

Hast thou the pretty worm of Nilus there, 
That kills and pains not? 

CLOWN 

Truly, I have him; but I would not be the party that 
should desire you to touch him, for his biting is immort- 
al ; those that do die of it do seldom or never recover. 

CLEOPATRA 

Remember'st thou any that have died on 't? 

CLOWN 

Very many, men and women too. I heard of one 
of them no longer than yesterday : a very honest 
woman, but something given to lie; as a woman should 
not do, but in the way of honesty : how she died of the 
biting of it, what pain she felt : truly, she makes a very 
good report o' th' worm ; but he that will believe all 
that they say, shall never be saved by half that they do; 
but this is most fallible, the worm 's an odd worm. 

CLEOPATRA 

Get thee hence; farewell. 

CLOWN 

1 wish you all joy of the worm. 

Setting down his basket. 



ACT V, SCENE II i8i 

CLEOPATRA 

Farewell. 

CLOWN 

You must think this, look you, that the worm will do 
his kind. 

CLEOPATRA 

Ay, ay; farewell. 

CLOWN 

Look you, the worm is not to be trusted but in the 
keeping of wise people; for, indeed, there is no good- 
ness in the worm. 

CLEOPATRA 

Take thou no care; it shall be heeded. 

CLOWN 

Very good. Give it nothing, I pray you, for it is 
not worth the feeding. 

CLEOPATRA 

Will it eat me? 

CLOWN 

You must not think I am so simple but I know the 
Devil himself will not eat a woman : I know that a 
woman is a dish for the gods, if the Devil dress her not. 
But, truly, these same whoreson devils do the gods 
great harm in their women; for in every ten that they 
make, the devils mar five. 

CLEOPATRA 

Well, get thee gone; farewell. 

CLOWN 

Yes, forsooth : I wish you joy o' th' worm. 

EX!1. 



i82 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

Ke-enter IRAS with a robe, crown, etc. 
CLEOPATRA 

Give me my robe, put on my crown; I ha/e 
Immortal longings in me : now no more 
The juice of Egypt's grape shall moist this lip : 
Yare, yare, good Iras; quick. Methinks 1 hear 
Antony call; I see him rouse himself 
To praise my noble act; I hear him mock 
The luck of Cagsar, which the gods give men 
To excuse their after wrath ; husband, I come : 
Now to that name my courage prove my title ! 
I am fire and air; my other elements 
I give to baser life. So; have you done? 
Come then, and take the last warmth of my lips. 
Farewell, kind Charmian; Iras, long farewell. 

Kisses them. Iras falls and dies. 

Have I the aspic in my lips? Dost fall ? 
If thou and nature can so gently part, 
The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch, 
Which hurts, and is desir'd. Dost thou lie still ? 
If thus thou vanishest, thou tell'st the world 
It is not worth leave-taking. 

CHARMIAN 

Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain ; that I may say, 
The gods themselves do weep! 

CLEOPATRA 

This proves me base 
If she first meet the curled Antony, 
He 'II make demand of her, and spend that kiss 



ACT y, SCENE II i83 

Which is my heaven to have. Come, thou mortal wretch, 

To an asp, which she applies to her breast. 

With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate 
Of life at once untie : poor venomous fool, 
Be angry, and dispatch. O, couldst thou speak, 
That 1 might hear thee call great Caesar ass 
Unpolicied ! 

CHARMLAN 

O eastern star ! 

CLEOPATRA 

Peace, peace! 
Dost thou not see my baby at my breast. 
That sucks the nurse asleep? 

CHARMIAN 

O, break! O, break! 

CLEOPATRA 

As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle, — 
O Antony! — Nay, I will take thee too : 

Applying another asp to her arm. i 

What should I stay — 



Dies. 



CHARMIAN 

In this vile world? So, fare thee well. 
Now^ boast thee, death, in thy possession lies 
A lass unparallel'd. Downy windows, close; 
And golden Phoebus never be beheld 
Of eyes again so royal! Your crown 's awry; 
I '11 mend it, and then play. 



184 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 

Enter the GUARD, rushing in. 
FIRST GUARD 

Where is the Queen ? 

CHARMIAN 

speak softly, wake her not. 

FIRST GUARD 

Cassar hath sent — 

CHARMIAN 

Too slow a messenger. 

Applies an asp. 

O, come apace, dispatch! I partly feel thee. 

FIRST GUARD 

Approach, ho ! All 's not well : Caesar 's beguil'd. 

SECOND GUARD 

There 's Dolabella sent from Csesar; call him. 

FIRST GUARD 

What work is here ! Charmian, is this well done ? 

CHARMIAN 

It is well done, and fitting for a princess 
Descended of so many royal kings. 
Ah, soldier! 

Dies , 

Ke-enter DOLABELLA. 
DOLABELLA 

How goes it here? 

SECOND GUARD 

All dead. 



ACT V, SCENE II i85 

DOLABELLA 

C^sar, thy thoughts 
Touch their effects in this : thyself art coming 
To see perform'd the dreaded act which thou 
So sought'st to hinder. 

Within : 

A way there, a way for Caesar ! 

Ke-enter C^SAR and all his train, marching. 
DOLABELLA 

sir, you are too sure an augurer; 
That you did fear is done. 

C^SAR 

Bravest at the last, 
She levell'd at our purposes, and, being royal, 
Took her own way. The manner of their deaths? 

1 do not see them bleed. 

DOLABELLA 

Who was last with them ? 

FIRST GUARD 

A simple countryman, that brought her figs : 
This was his basket. 

CiESAR 

Poison'd, then. 

FIRST GUARD 

O Caesar, 
This Charmian liv'd but now; she stood and spake : 
I found her trimming up the diadem 
On her dead mistress; tremblingly she stood 
And on the sudden dropp'd. 

Antony and Cleopatra. 24 



i86 ANTONY AND CLEOPATKA 

CESAR 

O noble weakness! 
If they had swallow'd poison, 't would appear 
By external swelling : but she looks like sleep, 
As she would catch another Antony 
In her strong toil of grace. 

DOLABELLA 

Here, on her breast, 
There is a vent of blood and something blown : 
The like is on her arm. 

FIRST GUARD 

This is an aspic's trail : and these fig-leaves 
Have slime upon them, such as th' aspic leaves 
Upon the caves of Nile. 

C^SAR 

Most probable 
That so she died; for her physician tells me 
She hath pursu'd conclusions infinite 
Of easy ways to die. Take up her bed; 
And bear her women from the monument : 
She shall be buried by her Antony : 
No grave upon the earth shall clip in it 
A pair so famous. High events as these 
Strike those that make them ; and their story is 
No less in pity than his glory which 
Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall 
In solemn show attend this funeral ; 
And then to Rome. Come, Dolabella, see 
High order in this great solemnity. 

Exeunt. 



GLOSSARY AND NOTES 

BY J. THOMSON 



ACT I 

Page I, line 8. — Kcneags : an obsolete word properly spelt 
reneges, meaning renounces, sets aside, as in « King Lear », 
act. II, sc. II, line 84. It is rhymed with « leagued » in Syl- 
vester's Dubartas. 

2,2. — Gipsy s lust : gipsy is used in its original sense for 
an Egyptian, and in its accidental sense for a bad woman. 

2, 10. — The sum : be brief, sum thy business in a few 
words. 

3, 5. — Where's Fulvia's process : where's Fulvia's sum- 
mons, 

3, 16. — To wit : or, as in the FoHos , to weet, that is, 
to know. 

5, 4. — Charge his horns with garlands: make him a rich 
and honourable cuckold, having his horns hung about with 
garlands. 

7,4. — My children shall have no names : shall be bastards. 

8, 3. — Work-a-day : generally written, worky-day. 

II, 2. — Euphrates : here written with a short a, Eu- 
phrates. 

II, 12. — Earing : ploughing, tilling. 

i5, 2. — Expedience : haste, speed, meaning in this place, 
sudden departure. 



190 GLOSSARY AND NOTES 

i5, 17. — Courser's hair: referring to the belief that a 
horse's hair steeped long in corrupted water becomes a living 
worm. 

19, 7. — Garboils : confused contentions, turmoils. 

19, 9. — Sacred vials: the tiny lachrymatory vials which 
the Romans sometimes put into the funeral urns of kinsfolk 
and friends. 

21, 9. — Laurel'd victory : better, laurel victory, which more- 
over was the language of Shakespeare's time. 

2 3, I. — Mature in knowledge: apparently a slip, as the 
sense seems to recjuire the word immature; or, perhaps the 
Poet meant that, boys old enough to know their duty pawn, 
etc. 

2 3, 19. — Ear and wound : plough and wound. 

27, 8. — Burgonet : a close-fitting helmet, first used by the 
Burgundians, but unknown to Cleopatra and to Antony. 

28, 10. — Arm-girt steed : a much-disputed phrase; the 
Folios have arm-gaunt, implying a horse gaunt with the conti- 
nued weight of armour. Many substituted words, as termagant 
and arrogant, have been proposed, but, whatever epithet was 
used, Malone thinks it was intended as descriptive of a beautiful 
horse. 

ACT II 

32, I 5. — Salt: lecherous. 

32, I 5. — Wan'd lip : a much disputed phrase; in old edi- 
tions it is written wand and apparently stands for wan. 

33, 7. — Space for further travel : a time in which a longer 
journey might have been made. 

37, 17. — You have not to make it with : the interpolation 
of not is unmetrical : probably written, « you n' have ». 

38, 10. — Garboils: tantrums. 

38, 17. — Missive: Used for messenger. 
40, II. — Your considerate stone : an elliptical phrase de- 
pending on the expression of the voice, equivalent to « hence- 



G L O S S A R Y A N D N C T E S I 9 I 

forth I am as silent as a stone ». Probably a forgotten proverb 
like, « silent as a stone ». 

41, 17. — Would be tales : probably, « would be half tales », 
to complete the metre and also agree with the next line, 
« where now half tales be truths ». 

43, II. — My sister's view: equivalent to, viev; of my 
sister. 

45, 18. — Tended her i' th* eyes : watched the smallest indi- 
cation given by Cleopatra : discovered her will by her eyes. 

45, 19. — Made their bends adornings : in paying their obei- 
sances to Cleopatra the humble bendings of their bodies were 
so graceful that they added to their beauty. 

45, 22. — Yarely : readily, dexterously. 

46, 1 3. — Cropped: v/as fruitful. 

47, 4. — Kiggish : rigg is an ancient word meaning a 
strumpet. 

48, 8. — Thither : here written for hither. 

48, 9. — My motion : my active part, my mind. 

49, 17. — Quails : the Romans fought quails, like cocks, 
pitting them within a hoop. 

50, 7. — The Mount : that is. Mount Misenum. 

5i, 3. — Billiards : an anachronism; billiards v/ere un- 
known for a thousand years after the time of Cleopatra. 

57, II. — But: some read « not » ; and others write the 
line « that art not what thou'rt sore of ». The line is very dis- 
puted, and is probably a broken sentence, reading thus : 

O, that his fault should make a knave of thee, 
That art not! — What? thou 'rt sure of 't? 

are you sure that he is married to Octavia? 

59, 22. — Fear us : affright us. 

62, 1 3. — North's Plutarch 1^79 reads in margin : « Cleo- 
patra trussed up in a mattresse and so brought to [Julius] 
Caesar, upon Apollodorus backe. » 

66, I 5. — Plants: here used for soles of the feet, from the 
Latin. 



1^2 GLOSSARY AND NOTES 

67, 10. — Partisan : a heavy kind of halberd. 

6y, 17. — Foison : for foizon, a french word signifying 
plenty. 

68, 12. — Pyramises : in use in Shakespeare's time for py- 
ramids : moreover Lepidus was nearly intoxicated and his 
tongue began to « split what it speaks ». 

69, 6. — It own organs : would now be written, its own 
organs. 

69, 9. — It own colour : it, would now be written, its. 

70, i3. — Inclips : embraces. 

72, 7. — Keels : increase the world's giddy course. 

72, 10. — Strike the vessels : as we now say, chink glasses, 
or, break a bottle. 

73, II. — The holding: the chorus, or, the burden of the 
song. 

ACT III 

77, 4. — Pacorus was the son of Orodes, king of Parthia. 

78, 10. — Him we serve : doubtless, him we serve, is what 
Shakespeare wrote, but modern editors read more gramma- 
tically « when he we serve's away ». 

80, 6. — Thou Arabian bird : the phcenix. 

80, 14. — Shards: the scaly wing-cases of beetles : see, in 
« Macbeth », the « shard-borne beetle ». 

81, 4. — Band: band, and bond, in Shakespeare's time 
were synonymous. 

82, II. — Cloud in 's face : a black spot on a horse's fore- 
head is regarded as a great blemish, it being supposed to indi- 
cate an ill-temper. 

85, 5. — Me : a slip for « I ». 

90, 5. — What is the success : what follows? or, what is the 
issue ? 

90, 7. — Kivality : equal rank. 

92, II. — Queasy: fastidious, disgusted. 



GLOSSARY AND NOTES igS 

94, 6. — Ostentation : a slip in metre for <( ostent», a word 
frequently used by Shakespeare. 

96, 5. — Trull : here used as synonymous to harlot. 

96, II. — Forspoke : spoken against : compounded like 
forbid. 

97, 4. — Merely: entirely, absolutely lost. 

98, 18. — Yare : dextrous, manageable. 

102, 9. — Antoniad : Plutarch says this was the name of 
Cleopatra's ship. 

io3, 4. — Cantle : fragment, or rather, corner. 

io3, 8. — Kibaldred : ribaudred in Folios: probably « ribald- 
rid nag )), that is strumpet. 

io3, 12. — Breese : gad-fly. 

io3, 16. — Loof'd: to loof is to bring a ship close to the 
wind. 

109, 2. — Within: superfluous, and apparently inserted in 
error. 

109, 5. — Schoolmaster : Euphronius was schoolmaster to 
Cleopatra's children by Antony. 

109, I 3. — His grand sea : his, would now-a-days be sup- 
plied by its. 

1 10, 19. — Offers: the sentence is transposed, and means 
« add more offers from thine invention ». 

112, 5. — Mered question : the question being limited to 
him : used as a participial adjective formed from mere, or, 
meer. 

I I 3, 21. — To square : to quarrel. 

1 I 5, I 3. — Shroud : shelter. 

116, I . — Deputation : by, proxy, deputy. 

116, 9. — Your Cxsar's father : Julius Caesar was not the 
father, but the great uncle of Octavius (Augustus") whom he 
adopted. 

117, 3. — Muss: scramble; but more likely an allusion to 
a boy's game so called. The game is mentioned by Rabelais. 

117, 10. — Hand of she : a slip for « her ». 
117, II. — Was Cleopatra : since she ceased to he Cleopatra. 
Antony and Cleopatra. 2 5 



1-94 GLOSSARY AND NOTES 

1 1 8, 3. — Feeders : dependents. 

1 1 8, 21. — The hill of Basan : from Psalm LXVIII, i5. 

119, 4. — Yare : nimble, adroit. 

120, I. — Enfranched : abbreviated form of enfranchised, 
120, 9. — Ties his points : acts as his body servant : the points 

tied the doublet to the hose; but not in Rome. 

120, 17. — Discandying : thawing. 

121, 18. — Gaudy : festive : gaudy is still an epithet bes- 
towed on certain festival days at the Universities of Oxford 
and Cambridge. 

ACT IV 

123, 4. — Ways to die : Shakespeare was misled by the am- 
"biguity of the old translation of Plutarch, « Csesar answered, 
that he [Antony] had many other ways to die, than so ». 

125, 5. — Woo't thou : wilt thou. 

I 26, 16. — Yield you : reward you. 

i2y, I. — Ho, ho, ho! : ho is an interjection commanding 
to desist or leave off. 

i3o, 2. — My chuck : my chicken. 

1 3o, 7. — False, false ; this, tJiis : this is the piece you ought 
to have given me, and not that of which you asked the use. 

i32, 4. — Well said: well done : see « As you like it », 
act II, sc. VI, 1. 14., and « HamJet », act. I, sc. v, 1. 162. 

i34, 10. — Three-nook'd world: Europe, Asia, and Africa, 
the then whole known world. 

I 36, 5. — Blows my heart: swells, or, smites, my heart. 

I 36, i5. — Droven : a slip for driven. 

I 37, 2. — An H : an ache : so pronounced. 

i38, 2. — Gests : deeds, exploits. 

I 38, 8. — Clip : Embrace, enfold. 

I 38, I 5. — Proof of harness : armour of proof. 

139, I 5. — Owe theni : query, own them. 

139, 21. — Tabourines : small drums. 

140, 2. — Court of guard : room where the guard musters. 



GLOSSARY AND NOTES l()5 

142, 2. — Kaiight him : reached him. 

142, 3. — Demurely : soberly, solemnly. 

143, 3. — Go we up : there is a hiatus here in the text : 
the words proposed correspond with the text of North's Plu- 
tarch. 

144, 10. — Triple tarnd: Cleopatra was first the mistress 
of Julius Csesar, then of Cneius Pompey, and afterwards of 
Antony. 

145, 2. — Crownei : coronet. 

145, 12. — Doits : the smallest coins; half farthings. 

145, 18. — Teach me, Alcides : Hercules, from whom Antony 
claimed descent, and who threw into the sea his servant Li- 
chas, who brought him the poisoned shirt of Nessus from De- 
janira. 

146, 4. — Than Telamon : Ajax who went mad about the 
armour of Achilles. 

146, 5. — Emboss'd : blown, and foaming at the mouth. 

147, 12. — Knave: servant. 

149, 6. — Thy continent : the thing that contains thee. 

i5o, 19. — Pleached: intertwined, folded. 

I 58, 2. — Housewife Fortune : pronounced hussif : a hussy, 
wanton : see similar use of a housewife » in « Henry IV », 
part II, '( Henry V » and « Othello ». 

15^, 6. — Kemarkahle : a word, in Shakespeare's time, of 
very grave import : conspicuous. 

iSg, I 3. — Chares: task-work. 

ACT V 

161, 2. — Frustrate: frustrated. 

166, 3. — Fortune's knave : the servant of fortune. 

169, 2. — If idle talk : « if it will be necessary now, for once 
to waste a moment in idle talk of my purpose, I will not sleep 
neither. » Probably a line is lost after necessary, e. g. « I '11 not 
so much as syllable a word ». 

169, I 3. — Pyramides : not pyramises (as at page 68 . 



1^6 GLOSSARY AND NOTES 

171, II. — Plates : pieces of silver money. 

173, 6. — Project : proctor, or, shape, my cause. 

173, 8. — Envy : malice, spite. 

175, II. — Modern friends : commonplace, unimportant, 
friends. 

175, 19. — Forbear, Seleucus : retire, Seleucus. 

178, 7. — Scald: a word of contempt implying poverty, 
disease, filth. 

178, 12. — Boy my greatness : the parts of women on the 
stage were acted by boys. 

178, 18. — Absurd intents : possibly an error for « assur'd ». 

179, 3. — Sirrah Iras : sirrah was a familiar address applied 
to women as well as to men. 

180, 2. — Worm : serpent: here it is the asp. 
182, 2. — Yare : quickly, nimbly. 

182, 12. — Dost fain : as Cleopatra says « farewell » to 
Iras she applies an asp to her attendant; hence afterwards her 
murder of Iras, strikes her as cowardly, and she exclaims 
« This proves me base ». 

182, 2 3. — Intrinsicate : intricate, or, tightly drawn. 

1 83, I. — Ass unpolicied : ass without more policy than, 
etc. 

186, 7. — Pursud conclusions : tried experiments. 
186, II. — Clip: embrace, enfold. 



CE LIVRE 

A ETE ACHEVE d'iM PRIMER 

Le 50 Mars 1891 

POUR 

DUPRAT ET C'^ EDITEURS 



D. JOUAUST 

A PARIS 



>-• 



o \^ 






LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



014 066 594 % 






v-i " . 








•»"» -'J 



■m 



.^y. 



